Days of Future's Past
by OptimisticGirl
Summary: While the residents of Storybrooke are dealing with the Snow Queen, two new comers appear, themselves Hell bent on ending the Snow Queen's destruction. Why are they here? What is their connection to the various residents of Storybrooke? Why is destroying the Snow Queen so important to their future?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Although the prologue doesn't, the main part of this story begins toward the end of episode 4x08. So, beware - SPOILERS - kind of. Sort of. **

**I meant for the prologue to be mysteries and for you to not be able to guess who certain characters are but when you're doing that with more than one character, it's pretty brutal. I confused myself at some points writing it. I did throw some very distinctive clues though - mostly to just be able to distinguish between the characters - so let me know your guesses on who is who! **

**I hope you and enjoy and reviews are always welcomed! **

**Prologue**

_This wasn't happening. _

She stood next to the bed, her arms folded loosely over her chest, her blonde hair falling in waves to frame her face. She still couldn't believe this was where they were. After all they had been through, after all the sacrifices by so many brave people over the years… this is where they were. This moment. Her eyes fell on the body on the bed, traveling from the leather boot clad feet to the serene face – motionless, timeless.

A single tear rolled down her cheek.

She didn't want to take this journey. She still thought there was another way to defeat the Snow Queen, something they had over looked after the years of conflict with her. A part of her still thought the way to defeat her was simple, as simple as True Love's kiss breaking a curse. How many times had that saved them over the years? But deep down, were her sharp instinct lay, she knew that even if there was another way, this was the way they were going to have to do it. The events of two days ago had left them no choice in the matter.

_Two days ago…._ It felt more like a lifetime ago. They were so use to the constant attacks from the Snow Queen's minions that they had went in half hearted, half ready. They assumed it was just another average assault on them – how wrong were they. None of them had expected the Snow Queen to show up, they weren't prepared for her magic – and it had cost them one of their own.

Another tear fell and that's when she heard the quiet footsteps behind her.

She didn't have to turn around to know who they belonged to. She knew it was him by the scents that always seemed to envelope her whenever he was around – the smell of leather and sea – the smell of _home_, the smell of safety. She wiped the tears away when she felt his hand on her shoulder and turning she looked into eyes as blue as the ocean, eyes that echoed the silent words in her heart at that moment.

"It's time, lass."

She closed her eyes, a million more tears threatening to fall, and nodded. As they turned to leave the room he slipped his arm around her shoulders, an act that immediately made her feel like a seven year old little girl again who needed comforting after a nightmare. She threw one last glance back into the room at the motionless figure lying on the bed, making herself etch every detail of that horrible image into her mind. She needed to remember this moment to remind her that what she was about to do was necessary.

"I meant what I said earlier. I don't want you doing this alone," he said as they made their way down the long hallway. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth and she was suddenly comforted by the fact that some things, no matter how bleak their surroundings, never changed.

"We don't have anyone else who can do this and it not catastrophically change things," she said as they reached the large double doors at the end of the hallway. They opened to reveal a circular room a buzz with people. She surveyed the room and for the first time since the Snow Queen's surprise attack two days ago marveled at how the people in that room had come to together to make this plan happen.

"We're almost ready," said a woman off to the side dressed in a magnificent long sleeved black dress, her raven black hair pulled into a high ponytail, her lips stained blood red.

"Are we sure this is even going to work?" she asked, tucking her long blonde hair behind her ears.

"It'll work," came the reply from the other side of the room. She turned her head to see the older man walking to the woman dressed in the black dress, one hand holding a golden potion, the other leaning on his cane. Her jaw involuntarily clenched at the sight of him. She knew they needed his help for this and that without it there would be no way this insane plan would even work without him but the anger that bubbled in her at the sight of him couldn't be tampered. It was only when _he_ put his hand on her shoulder and gave a quick, understanding squeeze that she unclenched her jaw, that familiar smell of leather and sea calming her.

She couldn't change what had happened and she wouldn't apologize for her feelings but they needed him right now. As much as she wished him a swift death she had to put that to the side. The plan was more important than an old rivalry.

The doors across the room opened and the two figures who walked in had her smiling. The woman had waist-length black hair, it falling loose around her regal gown. The man was clad in regal wear as well, a great sword belted on his side. They held hands as they entered the room, walking until they were a few feet away from her. It was then she noticed the figure behind them, his black hair a sharp contrast to their white surroundings, his deep blue eyes taking in everything around the room before landing on her.

He smiled at her and she smiled back. He had been just against this plan as she had but like her had also realized it was their only plan. They had to give it a fighting chance.

"And we're sure this is safe for her?" the long black haired woman said, worry clearly evident in her tone.

"As safe as anything else," the woman in the black dress replied, taking the golden potion from the man with the cane. "The magic will work, it's just up to her to get there."

"Will it be able to carry two people?"

She whipped her head up and looked into those brilliant blue eyes, the smell of the sea somehow even stronger now. "I thought we agreed that no one else could make this trip because of the possible repercussions?"

He nodded his head and she followed the direction of it to the black haired man on the other side of the room, his own blue eyes clouded in confusion.

"He can," he said. He turned his ocean-blue eyes back to her. "I meant what I said, lass – I don't want you making this journey alone. Not because you can't take care of yourself – I'm more than confident that you can – but let's be blunt, trouble tends to _find_ you. I'd feel better on this end if he went with you. " His gaze returned to the woman in the long black dress. "Will it still work?"

The woman nodded. "The amount of people who go through doesn't matter, the magic will be strong enough to hold them safely."

"I take it this is non-negotiable?" she said, her arms crossing again over her chest.

He smiled for the first time in days but she noticed it still didn't reach his brilliant blue eyes like it normally did. "Aye," he said.

"Fine," she muttered, looking to the woman in the black dress and the man with the cane. "I'm ready whenever you are."

They both nodded and went about the final preparations for the spell. The long black haired woman came to her then, enveloping her in a warm hug. After a few seconds she pulled back and took her face in her hands. "Be careful, okay?

"I will," she whispered, feeling the beginning of tears prickling her eyes. The regally dressed man followed and she smiled fondly when she felt one of his hands go the back of her head. It once again filled her with comfort that some things never changed.

"Kick some ass, okay?" he whispered in her ear. It made her laugh despite the lump that was slowly rising in her throat. She saw the long black haired woman walk over to the black haired man across the room and give him a hug as well, whispering something to him. He nodded into her shoulder, returning the hug.

"It's time," the man with the cane said.

She let go of the regally dressed man and turned to that pair of brilliant blue eyes as the black haired man came across the room to stand beside her. Those blue eyes looked between the both of them before enveloping both of them in a fierce hug, filling her senses with the smell of sea and leather.

"Both of you look after each other," he said before pulling back, his eyes landing squarely on the black haired man. "I meant what I said – keep her out of trouble."

"I'll do my best," the black haired man said. The brilliant blue eyes once again found hers and for a brief moment she saw him warring with himself over something. He reached into his long leather coat and pulled out a bundle of leather. Her heart started hammering against her chest when she realized what it was – a red leather jacket.

"Take this, for good luck," he said, handing it to her. She smiled at him, the tears really threatening to flow over now. She quickly shrugged out of her blue jean jacket and donned the red leather one, seeing the deep sorrow in all their eyes as she did so. It was another painful reminder of just how important this plan was.

"You have the ring?" the woman dressed in black asked. She nodded, momentarily reaching her hand up to feel it's outline beneath her shirt as it hung on the end of a chain. "It will help you reach out to us if you need us. You'll have to be in the Enchanted Forest for that to happen but as we've said this entire plan doesn't work unless you get there."

She nodded and taking a deep breath turned to the blank wall, the black haired man coming to stand at her side. The man with the cane waved his hand at the wall as the woman dressed in black muttered the phrase for the spell, tossing the golden potion at the wall. The bottle of potion broke as it struck an unseen barrier and a golden portal appeared. She looked to the black haired man at her side, a lopsided smile forming on her lips.

"Ready, brother?"

He nodded, throwing her his own smirk, and both of them took a running leap into the swirling, golden portal. As they did they both thought of only one thing….

Storybrooke.


	2. Chapter 1: Self Love

**Author's Note: Thank you to those who reviewed and followed the story! **

**Now begins the fun part! As I said before the Prologue, the story begins at the tail end of 4x08. In this story Rumple (damn you Rumple!) wasn't there to stop Hook from going in. And while I loved that Elsa was the one that helped Emma in the actual episode, I had to get some feelings out about Hook being there - thus, this. **

**Enjoy!**

"Emma!"

Emma froze as she made her way to the double doors were the intense white light was coming from. _What was he doing here?_ She slowly turned around, her hands still held out in front of her, crackling with magic. There he was – _Killian_, she whispered in her mind. He was stood in the archway that led into the room, worry etched on to his handsome face.

"You shouldn't be here," she rasped out, fresh tears springing to her eyes. The chandelier hanging in the middle of the room flickered at a faster pace, the magic at her palms growing slightly in intensity. Killian made a move to come to her but she immediately raised her hands, sparks of bright, white light crackling even louder. "Don't!" she yelled, her eyes wide with fear now. "Killian… don't. Please. I can't control it and I don't want to hurt you."

Killian's heart was breaking for his Swan. He had raced to the abandoned manor as fast as he could after finding the area circled on that map in Gold's shop. He had seen no sign of the Crocodile as he entered the house, the only sign of life being the intense light that seemed to fill the house from what he could only assume was that bloody magical hat. He had followed the sound and light until he rounded the corner and there she was – _Emma_. She was walking toward the doors were the magic seemed to sing from and before he could think he had called out her name.

Facing him now, her eyes wide and tears threatening to fall, her magic erratically surrounding them, all he wanted to do was rush to her and take her in his arms. "Emma… love, you aren't going to hurt me. You don't have to do this."

"Yes I do," she said, the magic continuing to crackle from her hands. "It's the only way to protect everyone I care about."

"There are other ways, ways that don't take something so much a part of you away," he said, resisting everything in him that screamed to just run to her. She was scared right now, probably still hurting from a certain family member's words – _dammit, Snow _– and the last thing he wanted to do was push her away more. "We can find another way, Swan."

Her face scrunched up, the tears causing her vision to blur. "There is no other way. This is the only way I can ensure everyone's safety. I lived happily without magic for 28 years – I don't need something that is going to constantly have my loved ones in fear of me."

His heart wrenched at her last statement. "Love, no one fears you—"

"Yes they do!" she shouted and she winced as her outburst caused light bulbs to burst. "I saw the look in my mom's eyes… in Henry's…." she trailed off, trying to suppress the sob that was dangerously brewing in her chest.

He took a tentative step toward her, words of encouragement on his lips. Her eyes widened further and with every step he took toward her she took one back.

"Killian…. _Don't._"

"I'm not giving up on you, Swan," he whispered, his hand and hook raised, trying to not seem threatening to her. "I believe in you. You may not believe in you, but I believe in you enough for the both of us. There are other ways to get your magic under control and we will find them. I have yet to see you fail."

Her back was against the double doors now and she could feel the intensity of the spell Gold had cast behind those doors. Killian was almost within reaching distance and she closed her eyes, trying desperately to control the magic that coursed through her. His last sentence hit something deep within her, a memory bubbling to the surface of Neverland when he had said those exact words to her. But this was different. She could fail here – she _had_ failed – and it could cost her someone she loved. She couldn't risk that, no matter how much faith Killian thought he had for her. She couldn't risk it.

Suddenly she felt him – his hand was touching her arm, her name a whispered plea. Her eyes flew open and looked into his ocean blue eyes and the fear rose within her.

"No!" she shouted. She ripped her arm out of his hand and the blast from her unpredictable magic knocked him back, clear across to the other side of the room. He landed with a crash against the railing of the stairs, momentarily seeing a burst of explosions before his eyes when his head connected with the railing.

"Killian!"

"Emma, I'm fine," he rasped out, trying to stand. But Emma saw the faint trickle of blood on his temple and the lights in the mansion began flickering like mad.

"Emma, I need you to calm down. I'm fine, love."

"No…." she whispered. Their eyes met across the room – his brilliant blues still trying to focus, her green eyes swimming with tears. She felt the sob reach up into her throat, the magic at her hands beginning to almost dance. This is why she didn't want him here, why she had begged him not to come near her. Emma knew what she had to do. She fought the sob down and concentrated on a memory at the top of a beanstalk and tried to bring her out of control magic in, even if for just a moment.

Killian went to move toward her but suddenly felt the cold bite of metal against his wrist and was brought to a sudden halt. He looked down to see his hand handcuffed to the railing in the stairs. His head whipped up to look at her, his own eyes wide now with realization.

"Swan!" he screamed at her, pulling against the handcuffs she had materialized around his wrist. But the cold metal didn't budge.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the tears finally falling from her eyes.

"Don't do this!" he cried, feeling tears of his own starting to prick his eyes.

Emma turned back toward the double doors at his plea, her tears streaming down her cheeks. She had to do this. This was the only way she was going to be able to protect her family and friends. She couldn't risk hurting any of them, not after what she had done to her dad… Henry… and now Killian. Her hands went to the door knobs, her body practically shaking from sobs as she heard Killian behind her, begging her not to do this, to just turn back around and look at him.

"Emma, stop!"

Emma whirled around at the sound of Elsa's voice, instinctively clutching her hands to her chest.

"Elsa, what the hell are you doing here? You have to leave, now."

Elsa quickly surveyed the situation – Emma, terrified and clutching her hands to herself to keep her magic from doing anything, Killian handcuffed to the stairs, fear for Emma making a mistake etched on his face. She knew this was going to be a very delicate situation.

"I'm sorry. I won't let you do this."

"My powers are out of control, there's no other way," Emma said, the chandelier above them sparking to emphasis her point. "Please, go. Now."

"No," Elsa said. "You didn't give up on me even when you nearly froze to death in that ice cave, so I'm not giving up on you now. I know how scary it is hurting someone you love." Elsa threw a quick side ways glance at Killian, still handcuffed to the stair railings. "I've lived in fear of that my entire life. But giving up your magic is not the answer. There is another way."

"Yeah, you told me all about how Anna's love saved you and that's great, but guess what? My version of that with Henry didn't work. This is all I have left." Fresh tears were swimming in Emma's eyes and she pressed her hands tighter to her chest, trying in vain to reign in the magic. She didn't see the flicker of pain across Killian's face when she said her love for Henry didn't work.

"I was wrong," Elsa said. At Emma's puzzled expression she continued. "It wasn't just Anna's love that saved me. "

"What are you talking about?"

"Swan, listen to her," Killian pleaded, his eyes locked on Emma.

Elsa swallowed. "When I landed in this strange town, I was certain that without Anna I was doomed. But I got control over my powers again without her. I didn't really know how until today, until the same thing happened to you. And then I realized - it's not only Anna's love or Henry's that can save us. They accept us for who we are and that's importaant, but it's not enough. It's on us, too. You have to love yourself Emma – the good and the bad. The only way to ever truly be in control of your powers is to embrace them. Because this," Elsa motioned to the flickering lights in the room, "This is who you are."

Elsa started walking toward her and Emma's eyes went wide.

"What are you doing?"

"It's time to stop being afraid," Elsa said, reaching her hand out to the fragile woman when she was a few feet in front of her. Emma seemed frozen in place, her eyes transfixed on Elsa's outstretched hand, her hands practically wringing her red leather jacket. Her gaze quickly fell to Killian standing next to the stair railing, his hand still firmly in the handcuffs. He nodded his head, a small smile on his lips.

"It's okay, Swan. You can do this."

Emma let out a heavy sigh and tentatively reached her hand out to Elsa's.

"You can do this," Elsa encouraged. Emma nodded, taking small steps to her. Could she, though? It had taken Henry's 'death' for her to believe in the curse and falling through Zelena's time portal with Killian for her to see Storybrooke as home. Could she really learn to love herself? Her hand, crackling with magic, hovered over Elsa's. Her eyes swam with unshed tears and she once again found Killian across the room. His eyes were locked with hers and his words from earlier floated back to her.

_I have yet to see you fail. _

She wrapped them around her, letting them seep into every fiber of her being. She wore them like an armor, repeating them over and over in her head. Her eyes still locked on him, she took the final step and grabbed Elsa's hand. A bright light exploded from their joined hands, pulsating throughout the entire manor.

"What was that?" she gasped.

"You learning to love yourself," Elsa whispered, her hand gently squeezing Emma's. Emma half laughed, half cried, letting the tears slowly fall. She had done it. Her magic was no longer a danger to those she loved and she hadn't had to give it up. It was a part of her, part of what made her who she was, and she could finally accept that with Elsa's help. But Elsa wasn't the only one…

Emma had barely registered the thought when she was suddenly enveloped in Killian's arms, the handcuffs having dissipated when she gained control of her magic. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her tear stained face in his shoulder. He had helped her too. It was his words, repeated from so long ago, that had finally given her what she needed to love her self.

She pulled back from their hug, seeking those brilliant blue eyes. She saw relief swimming in their depths alongside another emotion that Emma wasn't ready to accept was there yet. He smiled down at her before leaning in to kiss her – slowly but edged with passion. She returned the kiss before pulling away, breathless.

"We should probably get you back to the loft. I'm sure Mary Margaret and David are—"

Before Killian could finish there was a sudden bright flash of light and sound behind them. He spun around, instinctively putting himself in front of Emma. There was a large portal opening in mid air, a golden hue to its swirling mass.

"What the…" Emma muttered just as two figures fell through it, landing with a thud on the wooden floors of the abandoned mansion.


	3. Chapter 2: Visitors

**Author's Note: So sorry for the late posting of this chapter! Between the holiday and my boss being Satan and working me third one night and second the next, I've barely done anything but eat, work, and sleep the last week. So I wanted to get this posted before I go to work tonight. **

**As always, enjoy and thank you for the reviews and follows! **

Chapter 2: Visitors

Killian, Emma, and Elsa all stood in stunned silence, looking to the two prone figures lying on the floor. The golden portal dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, a deathly silence replacing the loud wind generated by the presence of the portal.

Neither of the figures moved.

"Are they… are they alive?" Elsa whispered.

"I don't know," Emma mumbled, her hand still firmly gripping Killian's arm. The black haired man was laying face down, the blonde haired woman on her side facing away from them. Emma noted with a small groan that they both wore clothes from the Enchanted Forest. The man wore all black – from leather pants tucked into the leather boots to the leather vest over a black shirt. The woman wore light brown leather pants, dark brown leather boots, and what looked like a simple white shirt under….

"Is that my red leather coat?"

Before Killian or Elsa could answer the male figure groaned. He was stirring, gingerly bringing himself up until he was on his hands and knees.

"_Bloody hell_," he swore, bringing one of his hands to hold at his temple. He seemed disoriented at first, as if he was trying to clear his head of the possible pounding that his landing had brought on. His face was still lowered to the floor when he apparently caught sight of the prone female figure next to him. He quickly reached out to her, Emma noticing the visible wince of his shoulders in doing so, and gave the woman a few gentle shakes.

"Em, are you alright?"

Emma, Elsa, and Killian heard the woman give a soft moan before starting to move. She slowly sat up, her back still to the three of them, and Killian saw when she made a quick grab of her side as she did so.

"Em?" the man asked again, stiffly standing while reaching out a hand to her. She took the offered hand, letting out a whoosh of breath as he helped her stand up, pain obviously radiating from the side she had landed on.

"I'm okay. I've taken worse spills on the—"

That was when they both realized they weren't alone in the room. The man raised his head and Emma found herself unable to breath. A pair of brilliant blue eyes stared back at her, a pair of eyes she had seen look at her hundreds of times before. But it wasn't just the man's eyes. Everything from the set of the man's jaw, his lips, his facial features, the way some of his hair fell down over his forehead, the 5 o'clock shadow – Emma was staring into what she could only describe as a much younger Killian. And the woman…. Emma felt like she was looking into a mirror when her eyes turned to the woman's now visible face. She could have been a younger version of herself – same facial structure and features, same green eyes, same waist length blonde hair.

"What the hell?" Emma shrieked.

"Who are you?" Killian growled, his arm still held protectively in front of Emma, his hook raised in warning. He was more than a little unnerved at the resemblance of himself in the man and he wasn't blind to the fact the woman standing in front of them could pass as Emma's twin.

Whatever was going on here, he knew it wasn't good.

The woman held up one hand, her other still cradling her side. "We mean you no harm, really."

"That doesn't answer the question of who you are," Elsa said, her voice hard and commanding from her many years of ruling, one of her hands raised toward the two strangers.

"Well, that is a rather long story," the black haired man said, and Emma would have sworn the half smile he gave was the same one Killian gave her. "What you do need to know is we share a common enemy."

Emma furrowed her brows. "You mean the Snow Queen?"

"Aye," the black haired man said, all mirth leaving his face and voice at the mention of her name. "The Snow Queen."

"Why is she your enemy?"

Emma and Killian both noticed the quick glance the black haired man gave to the blonde woman before answering her. "We've been fighting her for years. We don't know were she came from or what she wants, other than that she wants to turn everything into an ice cube, but she has made it known that she despises everyone in our kingdom."

"And your kingdom is the Enchanted Forest?" Killian made it a statement more than a question.

"Yes," the blonde haired woman said.

"Why come to Storybrooke?" Emma asked.

"That's another long story,'" the black haired man said. "The short version - the people who sent us believe that the key to defeating the Snow Queen is here."

"The people who sent you?"

"Very long story," both the blonde female and the black haired man said at the same time.

After a few seconds of tense silence Killian turned to Emma. "What do you want to do, Swan?"

Emma stood looking at both of the mysterious strangers. She didn't know what was going on but deep down her gut instinct, the thing that had guided her through her entire life and the thing that let her get in the car with Henry that night he showed up on her door step, was screaming at her that the strangers weren't dangerous. Neither had told a lie – her superpower was on high alert – but she didn't believe for one minute what they had told them was the _complete _truth.

"Lets get them back to Mary Margaret and David's place. Maybe there we can get some more concrete answers and finally learn what makes the story so long."

oooooooooooooooooooooo

He watched from the shadows, his body tingling with anticipation as he watched Emma Swan making her way to the door that hid the Sorcerer's hat. In just a few minutes she would be sucked into it and the hat would be filled, one piece of the plan in place to rid of him the dagger, forever.

He cursed inwardly when that damn pirate came running in, hell bent on stopping her. He kept to the shadows though, hoping that the doubt the Snow Queen had planted in Miss Swan's head would prevail over anything that infuriating pirate could say. A wicked smile of delight crossed his face when Emma's magic caused the pirate to fly across the room and he had to restrain himself from doing a jig when Emma magically chained Hook to the staircase, his pleas for her to stop falling on deaf ears.

"Emma, stop!"

It took everything he had not to slam his cane down on the floor when that blasted ice Princess came in just as Emma was about to open the doors. He watched as Elsa talked to her, watched as Emma's eyes shifted to the pirate before taking Elsa's hand and the magic of her self love radiating throughout the room.

His grip on the cane tightened as he watched the pirate – that God forsaken _pirate_ – run to Emma. He was about to turn to retrieve the hat when the portal opened. He stared at it thoughtfully; almost certain he knew the origin of the portal, when the two figures came falling through it.

_Well, well, well, well, _he thought, smirking to himself.

His plan to entrap Emma Swan into the Sorcerer's hat had failed but there were other ways to charge the hat and other parts of the plan that needed to be fulfilled. And the two people who had just surprised the Savior would be keeping her too busy for her to notice him setting any part of his plan in motion.

He quietly left the room. Tonight might have been a small set back but the next part of his plan was going to give him _so_ much satisfaction….

ooooooooooooooooooooo

They were in Emma's yellow bug driving back to the main section of Storybrooke. None of the four had said a word since they entered the car except for Emma quickly muttering how the car was a like a horseless carriage when the two strangers gave her car confused looks. Elsa had declined to ride back to town with them, saying she wanted to stretch her legs for a bit. Killian sat in the passenger seat of her bug, his hook resting on Emma's thigh as she drove.

She absently moved her hand from the steering wheel and laid it on his hook arm, giving a gentle squeeze. When she looked over at him he gave her one of his dazzling, heart stopping smiles and she couldn't help but smile back at him. She still couldn't believe she had come so close to giving up her powers. With a clear mind she looked back on the events of the past twenty-four hours and wondered how she had ever thought it was a good idea. She had never been more thankful though for Elsa and Killian talking her down at that moment.

The two strangers sat in the back of the bug, the girl's head resting on the glass of the horseless carriage. She winced as the yellow carriage went over a bump, her hand going to her hurt side. She was sure she hadn't broken anything in her fall through the portal but _bloody hell _she was certain something had bruised. She tried readjusting in the seat, letting out a pained sigh as she did so.

She saw something moving out of the corner of her eye and looked down to her brother's knee were his hand rested, his fingers steadily moving.

_Are you sure you're okay?_

Without looking at his face she brought her right hand away from her injured left side and keeping her hand low so Emma and Killian couldn't see, her slim fingers moved to answer him back.

_Aye, just landed harder than I expected. You okay?_

_Unnerved, _his fingers flashed back at her. She gave a small smile.

_I know. I thought I was going to suffocate from not being able to breath when I saw her. _

_It's only been two days but it feels like a lifetime, Em._

_I know. But we're here now. And we __**will**__ find a way to save her. _

She looked over at her brother and his crystal blue eyes locked with her jade green. She knew he was clinging to hope as fiercely as she was.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

"I hope Hook and Elsa found Emma before she was able to get rid of her powers," Mary Margaret said, gently rocking a sleeping Neal in her arms.

"I'm sure the pirate and ice queen found her in time," Regina muttered, taking a sip of the hot coca David had offered her minutes ago.

"I just don't understand why she thought getting rid of her powers was the answer," David said as he dried his hands on a kitchen towel.

"Magic is tied to your emotions," Regina stated. "Whatever the Snow Queen said to her in the sheriff's station unnerved Miss Swan enough to let her emotions take over, which is what caused her to lose control of her magic." She looked between Mary Margaret and David. "When you lose control of your emotions, you lose control of your magic. And vice versa. And when that happens, you don't think clearly."

Suddenly the loft door opened and Emma and Killian walked in.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret breathed, rushing to give her a hug, David right behind her. "Are you okay? Did you….?"

Emma gave her parents – _her parents, _something she still had to remind herself from time to time – a small smile.

"No, I still have my powers, thanks to Killian and Elsa."

Mary Margaret and David threw quick glances at Killian who stood beside Emma. "Whatever you did, thank you," David said as he put his arm around Mary Margaret's shoulders.

"Anytime, mate," Killian said.

"I hate to break up the nauseating family reunion, but we still have the small problem of Queen Ice Cube trying to take over the town," Regina said from the kitchen bar stool.

"Actually, we have another problem," Emma said.

"Is this problem more pressing than an impeding spell that will rip this town apart?" Regina shot back.

Emma threw her a dagger laced look before turning back to the still open door of the loft. "You can come in."

Mary Margaret, David, and Regina's eyes all widened when the two figures who had been out of sight in the hallway stepped through the door. Mary Margaret gasped, the arm not securely holding Neal to her flying to her mouth. David let his arm fall from Mary Margaret's shoulder, his face mirroring his wife's shocked expression.

Emma looked to her parents. "They fell through a portal after Killian and Elsa stopped me from getting rid of my powers. They're from the Enchanted Forest and are battling the Snow Queen as well, somehow. They seem to think the key to defeating her is here in Storybrooke."

Silence met Emma's remarks. She looked from the faces of her parents to Regina's.

"Are we going to ignore the fact, Miss Swan, that these strangers look like younger versions of you and the pirate?"

Emma glanced from the two strangers to Killian who stood beside her. "We noticed, Regina. But as you pointed out a few minutes ago, we have more pressing matters."

"What's more pressing than two strangers dropping through a portal who just happen to look like you and Mr. Eyeliner?" Regina asked, her eyes roaming over the two figures clad in Enchanted Forest attire. She looked back to Emma and raised an eyebrow, daring her to tell her she was wrong.

"It's good to know some things never change," the black haired man muttered, earning questioning looks from everyone in the room.

"Fine," Emma muttered. She turned fully to the two strangers, her hands going to her hips. "So who are you? And don't give me any of that 'long story' stuff. It's time to come fully clean."

The black haired man and the blonde woman looked at each and after a few tense seconds the man nodded. "We should tell them, Em. It's not like we can get away with a lie with someone's super power over there."

Emma blanched. "You know about my super power?"

"More than you know," the black haired stranger drawled, throwing her the same playful but smug look she had seen on Killian's face more times than she could count.

"Enough already," Regina growled, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Who are you?"

The blonde haired woman glanced at everyone in the room, her eyes coming to rest on Emma and Killian.

"We're…. well, we're your kids."


	4. Chapter 3: Revelations

**Author's Note: Wooho! I met my own personal deadline for this chapter, haha. **

**For clarification - In this story Elsa and Emma got the yellow ribbons BEFORE Emma's powers went crazy. Because I couldn't really work that event into the last chapter without disrupting the flow but it's mentioned in this one. **

**Hope you enjoy and reviews and follows always make my day! :)**

Chapter 3: Revelations

A thick silence enveloped the room at the blonde woman's words. Emma still stood next to Killian, her hands on her hips, her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she looked from the blonde woman to the black haired man.

"Whose kids?" Emma asked, genuine confusion in her voice.

"Really, Miss Swan," Regina scoffed.

"Emma."

She turned to look at her mother, who was still clutching a sleeping Neal to her. David, who stood next to his wife, was staring past Emma to the two strangers stood in the doorway of his loft, a mixture of shock and pride on his face. Mary Margaret reached a tentative hand forward and grasped Emma's hand in her own.

"Sweetie, I think they mean they are _your_ kids." At the confused look that still crossed Emma's face Mary Margaret gave her daughter's hand an urgent but comforting squeeze. "Your kids, Emma. Yours… and Killian's."

Mary Margaret saw the moment that it all clicked in Emma's head. The confusion fell from her face, her eyes going slightly wide and her jaw dropping. She whipped her head back around to the two figures, her green eyes raking over both of them – the way the girl was a younger version of herself, the dead-ringer for Killian that the boy was – and she felt herself stop breathing.

"You're…. kids… ours…. _How?_!"

The black haired man groaned. "Please don't make us tell you how. I barely survived _that _conversation when I was eleven." The blonde haired woman gave him a playfully smack on the arm and a stern look.

"But, we just started dating!" Emma gasped out, turning to look at Killian. She felt a small comfort in the fact he looked as shocked as she did – but was that happiness she saw briefly flash in his eyes as he stared at the two strangers, _their children? _

"They clearly aren't from our time," Regina said, crossing her arms. "I can assume there's a damn good reason for you to be risking timelines and your own past to be here?"

Before either the blonde haired woman or the black haired man could answer Mary Margaret stepped forward, a smile on her face. "How about we all sit down? I'm sure it's going to be a long night." Emma barely nodded at her mother's suggestion, turning and walking to the kitchen bar as if she was in a dream state. Killian followed her, his own face echoing her confused look, and took the barstool next to her. After everyone had found a seat the blonde haired girl looked around at everyone.

"Where do you want us to begin?"

David, sat between Killian and Mary Margaret, gave his granddaughter – _his granddaughter _– an encouraging smile. "How about we start off with something simple. What are your names?"

The girl smiled back at him. "Erin. My name is Erin."

"And I'm Liam," the black haired man said. Emma felt rather than saw Killian go rigid next to her as their apparent son said his name. Without thinking she reached over and gave his right thigh a comforting squeeze. Of course Killian would name his son after his brother and even in her confused state she could only imagine what was going through Killian's mind in that moment.

"Erin and Liam, beautiful names," Mary Margaret said, smiling at both of her new grandchildren.

"Miss Swan said you were from the Enchanted Forest," Regina said, leaning her arms on the bar. "Did you grow up there?"

"We did," Liam said. He leaned back in his chair, one arm resting on the kitchen bar. It took Emma's breath away at just how much he looked like Killian in that reclined position. "You have to understand that there are things we simply will not be able to tell you. Details about certain major events will have to be vague as to not change your future – our past. You were pretty strict about that," he said, looking to Regina.

"Let's start from the beginning," David said. "How far into our future did you come from?"

Erin threw a quick glance at her parents who were sat across from her and Liam, their gazes locked on their future children. "If mom and dad are just now starting to date, we're from about 26 years into your future."

"How did you grow up in the Enchanted Forest?" Mary Margaret asked.

"In a year and a half something happens," Liam said. "Again, it's not something we can give you specific details on because it is a _major_ event in your timeline. Certain decisions have to be made by certain people and any knowledge of it prior to that could cause a different decision to be made. Needless to say a decision is made and all the residents of Storybrooke go back to live in the Enchanted Forest."

"Including me?" Emma whispered, the first words she had uttered since they all had sat down.

Erin looked at her mother, a small smile on her lips. "Including you, mom. You were actually six months pregnant with us when the decision was made."

Killian raised his eyebrows, his hand reaching and finding Emma's that still rested on his thigh. "With us?"

"We're twins," Liam said, noting the almost child-like grin that broke out on his grandmother's face.

"I beat him into the world by two minutes," Erin said, a small smile tugging on her lips as she looked at her brother. Liam rolled his eyes – _How can he look so much like Killian, _Emma thought.

"It wasn't a bloody race out of the womb, Em."

Erin laughed then, a musical laugh that reminded Killian of the few times he had heard that same laugh from Emma. It was rare for him to hear a real laugh from his Swan but he imagined his daughter laughed like that often.

"What does all this have to do with the Snow Queen?" Regina asked, always one to keep the discussion on point.

"We've been battling with the Snow Queen for the last four years," Erin said, idly letting her thumb run over the leather material of the red jacket she wore. "She came out of virtually no were – as most villains do. We still aren't sure what she wants or what her motives are but it all came to a head two days ago…." She seemed to falter then, her eyes dropping to the kitchen bar, her grip on her leather jacket tightening.

Without thinking Mary Margaret reached across the bar, taking Erin's hand in her own and squeezing. "What happened?"

"Two days ago the Snow Queen and her minions attacked us," Liam said, his own voice thick with emotion. "It wasn't anything out of the ordinary – we've been rebuffing her attacks for years now. But two days ago it all went to Hell. In the middle of us battling her minions the Snow Queen herself appeared." Liam looked to Killian then, ocean blue eyes meeting ocean blue eyes. "She was aiming at you when she unleashed the Ice Spell. But mom, well, mom has never been one to sit back idly while someone threatens her loved ones. She pushed you out of the way and took the impact of the spell."

Killian felt the immediate tension in Emma's hand under his at Liam's words. Neither of them had said those words to each other yet but did they really need to? Killian wasn't sure if Emma was there yet but he knew he was, he had been since that kiss in the jungles of Neverland.

"I'm dead?" Emma mumbled.

"Not quite," Erin whispered, her eyes still locked on the kitchen bar and her hand gripping Mary Margaret's as tightly as Mary Margaret was gripping hers. "As the spell hit you your magic flared up. It was trying to protect you but the spell was too powerful. Regina said that your magic sensed that and interlocked with the Snow Queen's spell. " Erin raised her eyes to look at Emma, unshed tears refusing to fall from her eyes. "You aren't dead but you might as well be. When your magic and the Ice Spell combined they incased you in an ice coffin. For all attempts and purposes you are in a dream like state, almost as if you are under a sleeping curse. That's how Regina explained it to us."

"But it's not as simple as simply finding someone else with light magic to reverse the interlocking of mom's magic with the Ice Spell," Liam said. "Mom's magic is unique in that she is the Savior – the fact that she's a product of True Love is what makes her magic so strong."

"So to free her you need magic as equal or stronger than Emma's magic," David concluded.

"Aye," Liam said.

"I still don't see what this has to do with our Snow Queen," Regina said. "You say you've been fighting her for years but we know for a fact that she has been in our world for at least the last 20 years because she encountered Miss Swan when she was younger. "

Erin let go of Mary Margaret's hand, clasping her own fingers together as she looked over at Regina. "That's because _our_ Snow Queen and _your_ Snow Queen are one in the same."

The Storybrooke residents all started at that.

"How?!" Emma asked.

"A few hours after the attack that left mom incased in ice, all of you started getting new memories. It started off as a slight change in how you remembered certain events happening – a conversation you once had with someone changed, you started remembering events that to you never happened. It wasn't long until Regina theorized that something, or someone, had traveled back in time and because of their interactions with you in the past, was reshaping your memories," Erin said. "Her theory was pretty much confirmed when everyone started remembering seeing the Snow Queen in Storybrooke, something that in the original timeline didn't happen. She never entered our lives until four years ago. At that point we were convinced the Snow Queen herself had traveled back in time, for whatever reason."

"I think we know that reason," Regina mumbled. At Erin and Liam's eyes snapping to her she waved a hand at Emma. "Your… mother. The Snow Queen lost her two sisters and some prophecy she has foretold that the Savior would replace one of her sisters."

"That explains why the Snow Queen was so upset when mom took the ice spell meant for dad," Liam muttered.

Erin nodded her agreement, her brows furrowing – _She looks so much like Emma, _Killian thought. "But how does she plan on making mom her new sister? That isn't exactly something you would _agree_ to…."

Emma held her right wrist up, showing the bright yellow ribbon on it. "It has to do with this. She's planning on casting a spell that will turn everyone in town against each other, everyone except Elsa and me. We will be immune because of these ribbons."

"The spell of Shattered Sight," Liam and Erin said at the same time.

"You know the spell?" Killian asked.

"Aye," Liam said, turning a worried look to his sister. "It was the only thing we _did_ know that she was up to. She needed Regina's mirror though to complete the spell. A few days before the attack on mom Regina destroyed the mirror." He shook his head, a few stray strands of black hair falling over his forehead. "We assumed the spell was her end game – cast it and watch the entire kingdom destroy itself. We had no idea that it was just a step in a much bigger plan."

"Regina destroying the mirror and what happens to Emma in the future must be what prompted her to come back in time," David theorized, turning to look at Emma. "You can't be her sister if your incased in ice and you'd never agree to it without the spell being cast, which Regina's future self halted."

"So whereas we came back to get mom's past self to help release her from the ice, the Snow Queen came back to a time she could cast the spell and fulfill this prophecy she has," Erin said, her head momentarily going into her hands.

"Wait," Emma said, a small frown on her lips. "You said you came back to get my past self… me… to help release… well, me?"

Liam nodded. "As we said, no simple white magic can undo your magic interlocking with the Snow Queen's spell. It has to be equal or greater magic – which means the magic of another Savior. Since there is only one of them in the Enchanted Forest Regina and Gold came up with the plan to send us back in time, bring you to the future, and you uncoil the magic. The fact the Snow Queen is here as well is but a by product."

"So we're going to the future? I feel like Marty McFly all over again," Emma muttered.

"That is the plan," Erin said.

"Well there's no reason for any of you to be taking off tonight," Mary Margaret said. "Why don't we all call it a night and regroup in the morning."

Liam and Erin started to protest but the words died in their throats as Mary Margaret threw both of them a look. Both of them were suddenly reminded of seeing that same look on their grandmother's face through the years, a look that both of them knew not to question. As Mary Margaret went to stand Erin and Liam both noticed for the first time the sleeping bundle in her arms and Erin's eyes widened.

"Is that Uncle _Neal?_" she breathlessly whispered.

Mary Margaret laughed, looking down at the face of her son. "It is. I suppose he is all grown up now were you are from."

"Aye," Erin said, straining her neck to get a glimpse of the baby face of a man she had known all her life.

"And it seems that this little prince needs to be changed," David said, taking his sleeping son from his wife's arms. A wide smile broke on Liam's face, his ocean blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh I am _never_ going to let Uncle Neal live this one down."

**Authors Note: In my head I kept imagining the 'ice coffin' Future Emma is in looked like the one Neo Queen Serenity from Sailor Moon was in (showing my age AND nerdness there ladies and gentleman!) This was the best picture reference I could find: **

** post/2682161993**

**Should be the first result in the Google search**


	5. Chapter 4: The Heart of a Man

**Author's Note: I still haven't survived from that winter finale. Or the fact Colin O'Donoghue is starring in a music video that is PRETTY MUCH a Captain Swan love song. They plan on slowly killing us until March people. **

**Anyway, the story! I managed to get this up in a somewhat timely manner. I tried to make it a little longer than normal because I don't think I'll be able to get another chapter up until the turn of the year. I've been procrastinating on making some Christmas gifts to write the story and Christmas has snuck up on me. If I can get through the presents in time I'll do my best to get the next chapter up before the 31st. **

**I also want to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed, or favorited this story! It seriously makes my day to know so many people are enjoying the story! **

**As always, enjoy!**

Chapter 4: The Heart of a Man

"Swan, what are you thinking?"

Emma turned from the window she had been looking out of and into Killian's brilliant blue eyes. They were stood in the hallway outside her parent's loft, her standing in front of the window and he leaning against the wall. After Mary Margaret had suggested they continue tomorrow Regina had pulled her to the side and offered to take Henry home with her for the night. While Emma's first instinct was to keep Henry close to her she also knew keeping him out of this new mess was the safest option. Regina had gone upstairs to retrieve him and they had quietly slipped out of the apartment while Erin and Liam were occupied with Neal. Regina had quickly agreed with Emma when she suggested they not mention the true identity of Emma's newfound children.

Elsa had arrived shortly after Regina and Henry's silent departure and Emma and Killian had filled her in on the events after they had all left the abandoned manor. Elsa was more shocked to learn the Snow Queen was from the future than the fact the two strangers who had dropped in on them had turned out to be Killian and Emma's future children, which had unnerved Emma to no end. Elsa, David, and Mary Margaret were currently inside the loft making sleeping arrangements for her children.

_Her children_. Even after an hour of learning she had two more children she couldn't completely wrap her mind around it. It had taken her so long to get use to the idea of having Henry in her life; a kid she knew was out there some were in the world. And suddenly she had two children – _grown_ children – drop into her life that she had no idea existed, weren't even on the scope of being thought of. And she had had those kids with Killian.

"Love?"

She started, not realizing her mind had wandered or that she was once again gazing out the hallway window. Crossing her arms over her chest she looked back at Killian, seeing the worry for her in his eyes.

"Killian… there are two adults in my parent's apartment right now who are our children. Yours and mine, and we've just started dating… We're still trying to figure out what _this_ is. And suddenly we have these two people drop into our lives that turn out to be our children… I honestly don't know what to think right now."

Killian nodded as she answered, his eyes moving from her face to the hallway floor. He seemed to be in deep thought and a few seconds after she finished he asked, his eyes never leaving the floor, "Are you disappointed?"

Emma frowned. "What would I be disappointed about?"

His eyes slowly came back up to meet hers and she could see the turmoil written on his face. "That I'm their father. That you had children with me."

Emma inwardly cursed herself. "Killian, that's not what I said—"

He let out an almost bitter laugh, pushing himself off the wall. "You didn't have to, love. It's written all over your face." He moved around her as if to go down the stairs but stopped, turning back around to look at her. "After all, I'm nothing but a _pirate_, right? How could you possibly marry me and have kids with me."

"We don't have to be married to have kids together, Killian," she countered, moving closer to him. When he continued to just stare at her she sighed. "I'm- I'm not disappointed that you are their father. This entire situation is just mind-boggling. We are in the middle of dealing with the crisis the Snow Queen has thrown at us and suddenly there are two people claiming to be our kids and bringing us another crisis to deal with. It is a lot for any normal person to take in."

"Do you think they are lying about being our children?"

"Really, Killian? That kid in there could be _your_ twin – there's no way you could ever deny him."

"Aye," Killian said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "The same goes for you and the lass. I imagine that is exactly what you looked like at that age."

"Maybe," Emma mumbled, her own small smile playing at her lips. She took the final few steps until she was a hairs breath away from him, her jade orbs searching his blue ones as her hands came to rest on the lapels of his jacket. "I meant what I said, Killian. I'm not disappointed that you are their father, and I'm sorry if that is what you inferred from what I said." She closed her eyes, sighing to herself again. "It's just a lot to take in, the fact we will eventually have kids together when we are just starting to try to figure out what we are to each other."

Because her eyes were closed she didn't see the flicker of hurt that crossed his features at her last words and when she did open her eyes he had schooled his face into an expressionless mask. He nodded at her words, his arms coming to wrap around her.

"I understand, love. It was quite a shock to me as well when they revealed they were ours."

Emma moved her hand from the lapel of his jacket to fiddle with the charms around his neck, her eyes remaining locked on the part of his chest that his open shirt and vest exposed.

"Are you disappointed that I'm their mother?"

Killian tilted his head to the side. "Why would you think that, love? I'm beyond thrilled that the lad and lass in that apartment will have you as a mother. I wouldn't want to have children with any other woman."

Emma felt the blush rush across her cheeks at his words. She threw a quick glance up at him through her lashes and saw his smirk and the twinkle in his eyes.

She playfully gave his shoulder a shove, which elicited a laugh from Killian. His arms tightened around her and he rested his forehead against hers.

"Swan, I know the last few days have been a lot for you to take in. Between everything going on with the Snow Queen, trying to get rid of your powers, and the appearance of our future children… But I meant what I said back in that house – I have never seen you fail. We will find another way to beat the Snow Queen and help Erin and Liam, together."

She smiled at him, her fingers wrapped around the lapels of his jacket. She saw that look flash into his eyes, the look she wasn't ready to admit that she saw there day in and day out when he looked at her. They had come a long way since that climb up the beanstalk but there were still so many walls around her heart, some she didn't think she would ever be able to bring down. But damn the pirate was slowly chipping away at them. She could comfortably admit they were together now, a couple. Following her back in time to the Enchanted Forest and giving up his ship for her and shown her, finally, that he had changed. And she had let yet another wall around her heart down that night in the street of Storybrooke when she had confessed she couldn't lose him.

"I should go back in," she mumbled. "It's been a long day."

Killian said nothing, simply brining his head down until his lips met hers. The kiss was soft, reminding Emma of the kiss they had shared after he had admitted that he had traded the Jolly Roger. She felt his fingers start to thread through her hair and she found her own hands moving up his shoulders to twist in the hair at the back of his neck. She reluctantly pulled away from the kiss after a few seconds, a small smile on her lips as she walked backwards toward the apartment door.

"Goodnight, Killian."

"Goodnight, Swan," he mumbled, watching her go back into the loft and shut the door before turning around and heading to his room at Granny's.

0000000000

"Do you think they'll be okay?"

The man turned his head from the view of the courtyard to look to the blonde woman sat across the table from him. Her long blonde hair was braided and pulled to the left, her light blue off the shoulder gown twinkling in the morning sunshine that came through the floor to ceiling balcony windows. Her hands were clasped in front of her on the table, her eyes so full of worry staring into his. He gave her a small smile.

"I'm sure they are fine, Elsa. You know how those two are when it comes to tight situations."

Elsa, Queen of Arendelle, nodded her head, her eyes falling to the table between them. "Yes, Erin and Liam are very resourceful, something they get from both their parents." She seemed to be pondering something as she continued to look at the table in front of her, playing with her fingers nervously. After a few seconds of silence she looked back up at him, her question so low he almost didn't think he had heard her.

"Will this plan work?"

He sighed, running a hand through his dirty blonde locks. "I don't know, Elsa. None of us do. It's our only hope to get Emma out of that ice though."

Elsa reached across the table, taking his hand in hers. "Has there been any change, at all, in your sister?"

Prince Neal of the Enchanted Forest shook his head, his blue eyes falling back to the balcony windows. "There's been no change."

Elsa sighed, her hands tiredly rubbing at her eyes. All of them were running on short bursts of sleep, none of them really able or willing to sleep more than few hours at a time with the current crisis. It had been six days since Emma was incased in ice, four since Killian, Snow, Charming, and Regina had seen Erin and Liam threw the time portal. They had no way of knowing if the children had landed safely in Storybrooke, if they had even landed in the right place at all. They all tried to keep busy as best they could, filling their days with preparing for more attacks from the Snow Queen's minions and trying to keep the kingdom running normally. She looked down at the parchment scattered in front of Neal.

"Should we try to do some ruling today?"

Neal looked back at her, a ghost of a smile on his lips. He nodded, and rifled through the sheets of parchment before finding the one he was looking for.

"If we need the extra man power to ward of the Snow Queen's minions can we call upon Arendelle for help?"

Elsa nodded without hesitation. "Of course. Our battle with the Enchanted Isle ended months ago so all our forces are currently back home. I'd say with ease we could add another few thousand soldiers to your father's army. I'll send word to Anna and Kristoff immed—" She was cut off by a searing pain in her head, one that made her cry out. Neal jerked his head up from the parchment he had been looking over to find one of Elsa's hands clutching the edge of the table so tight her knuckles were white, the other one grasping at her temple. He jumped up from the tall wooden chair he had been sat in so fast it turned over and rushed to the other side of the table, dropping to his knee next to her chair.

"Elsa? Are you okay?"

Her breathing was coming in quick, hard gasps and her eyes were tightly screwed shut. After a few seconds he felt her entire body relax and she lowered her hand as she opened her eyes.

"Elsa?"

"I'm – I'm okay Neal."

He laid a hand gently over her hand that still had the wooden table in a death grip. "What was that?"

She shook her head a few times as if trying to orient herself. When she turned toward him there were unshed tears in her blue eyes.

"It was… my memory. I was getting new memories... from the past." She gripped his upper arms hard, a smile breaking out on her face as the tears simmered in her eyes. "I remember! I saw Liam and Erin!"

Neal tensed, his own blue eyes going wide at the realization of what she had said. "You remember seeing them in Storybrooke? Were they okay?"

She nodded her head, the tears now freely falling one at a time. "I think so. It's strange recalling the memory and not knowing _then _who they were but looking back on it and knowing them. They seemed okay though. Erin looked like she took the fall through the portal hard but they are okay. Neal, they are okay and they made it!"

Neal laughed for the first time since his sister had been incased in the ice by her magic and he pulled the Queen of Arendelle into a rough hug before standing up.

"I've got to tell the others."

"Go!" Elsa playfully shouted, smiling as she watched the young Prince run from the room at a brake neck pace. She slowly stood, her head still slightly throbbing from the onslaught of the new memories, and made her way to the balcony doors. She pushed them open and walked to the railing that looked out over the courtyard, taking a deep breath of the early morning air.

They had made it. She was sure all of them would sleep a little more soundly tonight knowing the children had made it back in time, and had done so safely. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, closing her eyes.

"You can do this Erin and Liam," she whispered into the still morning air, feeling a new wave of fresh tears sting behind her closed eyes.

"You are the children of the Savior and Captain Hook. If anyone can succeed, it's the two of you.

0000000000

His steps were slow and measured as they thudded over the wooden docks, the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping at their wood a familiar song to his heart. The inky blackness of the night, studded with only a sprinkling of stars, made it easy for him for just a moment to pretend like he was back on his ship. Turning from the darkness of the harbor, Killian slowly made his way back to Granny's.

After saying goodnight to Emma he had realized the last thing he wanted to do at that moment was go to his room. Too many thoughts were running through his mind, the most prominent of them all were his children. _His children_. He smiled to himself as he thought of them. In all his 200 years of life, through all the years of trying and failing to enact his revenge on the Dark One, he had never given a thought to his future, of what he wanted for himself. Even when Emma came stumbling into his life and wrapped herself around his heart, he still hadn't truly let himself think of the future.

But seeing Erin and Liam standing in Mary Margaret and David's living room, revealing to all of them that they were his and Emma's children, awoke something in him. He hadn't realized until that moment, staring into his daughter's eyes that matched his Swans that that was the future he wanted. And he wanted it with Emma. He had been just as shocked and confused as Emma had been at the reveal of their identity but it was quickly replaced with a warm feeling that seeped into every fiber of his being – happiness. They represented a future with Emma he knew beyond a shadow of doubt he wanted and they were living proof that it would happen, that one day all of Emma's walls would come down and she would finally, finally admit the emotion he knew she saw in his eyes – the emotion she refused to acknowledge was really there.

Love.

Because the Gods above knew he loved that woman. He knew he was in love with her from the moment they had kissed in Neverland, when she awakened something in him that had long since lay dormant since Milah's passing. He knew she cared about him, that much was evident by her admission in the street that night that she couldn't lose him. But she still refused to admit the _real_ emotion between them. He saw it in her eyes every time he looked at her.

But Erin and Liam… he smiled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets. They were proof to him that one-day she would admit that emotion to him, to herself, and then they'd have those two beautiful human beings to prove it. And beautiful they were. More than a passing sense of fatherly pride swirled in him when he thought of Liam. He looked just like him, uttered some of his own popular phrases, and had an air about him that exuded the same confidence Killian himself had. And his name… he briefly wondered whose idea it would be in the future to give him his brother's name. However Emma and he would decide, his heart swelled with the knowledge that it was a fitting name for the lad, for his son.

And Erin… she looked just like Swan. She was strong, vibrant, and had a good head on her shoulders – all attributes he knew she had inherited from her mother. But Killian saw more than a hint of himself in her at times – the way one of her delicate blonde eyebrows would raise or the way she unknowingly clenched her jaw. That sense of fatherly pride was just as strong with her but another emotion overrode it, the need to protect her. A woman he had known less than twelve hours and he was certain without hesitation he would give his life to protect her.

"Deep in thought, dearie?"

Killian slammed to a stop at the familiar, condescending voice coming from the shadows outside Granny's. His eyes strained into the darkness surrounding the diner until he made out the telltale shadow of the Dark One.

"What do you want, Crocodile?" he growled.

Gold stepped from the shadows, his hands resting leisurely on his cane, a smug and pompous smirk on his face.

"I'd watch your step, captain. You never know when certain… _people_ will come flying through a time portal around here."

Killian's entire body tensed at Gold's words. _Shit. _How did he know about Liam and Erin already? Unless….

"You were at the house, weren't you?"

Gold chuckled then, moving more out of the shadows. "Indeed I was, dearie. I was there to make sure Miss Swan killed herself with the hat. Sadly, that did not happen. Imagine my surprise though when I watched two people just magically fall through a time portal though. Two people who bared an awful resemblance to you and the lovely Miss Swan…."

Killian growled, a primitive rage boiling over in him not only to protect his children – who were not _yet_ his children – but for the fact that this coward was going to let Emma kill herself with that bloody hat. He lunged at Gold only to find his back against the wooden fence that surrounded Granny's, his torso and arms being quickly tied to the fence with a garden hose.

"Tie me up all you want, Crocodile," Killian growled between clenched teeth, fighting at the bonds that held him, "But I will die fighting before I let you put a finger on Emma or those kids."

"How about before you depart, I'll let you in on a little secret." Gold stepped closer to him, an impish grin on his face. "I will find another way to use the hat on Miss Swan. And whatever your future brats are doing here, I will find a way to cause them as much pain and suffering as I can while they are here." He laughed as Killian fought violently against the magical restraints.

"You'll get over her… just like you got over Milah. How many centuries did that take? And I'm sure once you do you'll find another poor, unsuspecting woman to sire a few bastards with."

"Emma will never willingly go into your stupid hat, Dark One. She proved that today. "

Gold smirked. "I may not have the savior – yet – pirate. But I assure you; today won't be a complete loss. I need to fill that hat with power, yes, but that was only part of the equation." He came to within a few inches of Killian's face. "Because I need something else, a secret ingredient, one I didn't know about… until an associate clued me in. A heart."

"And what makes you think I would help you procure one?" Killian snarled.

"Oh, you're going help me, all right. You see, this spell is going finally separate me from the dagger so it no longer holds power over me. But to cast it, I need the heart of someone special. Someone who knew me before the dagger… before I was the Dark One."

Killian's veins filled with ice. "No. No!"

Gold laughed, tossing his cane to rest on the same fence Killian was bound to. "Oh yes, dearie. Everyone who fits that description is already dead - except, you. As luck would have it, you're my oldest friend." With no warning Gold reached into Killian's chest and Killian let out a pained shout. It wasn't the first time someone had reached into his chest to take hold of his heart but as Gold extracted his hand, Killian's beating heart clutched in his hand, Killian couldn't have compared that pain to any other he had felt in his long life.

"Now, _dearie_. We're going to have some fun. You're my puppet now so if I command you to put your own beloved Miss Swan in that hat, you will. However, after I finish filling the hat I will take great pleasure…"

Killian cried out as Gold tightened his grip on his heart. "…In killing you. Finally."

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_2:30 AM_

Emma blinked at the red, glowing numbers on her alarm clock. It had been hours since she had said goodnight to Killian outside her parent's apartment and slowly made her way up to her bedroom so as not to wake her sleeping adult children in the living room. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, but sleep would not come to her. Her mind kept wandering to her last conversation with Killian and, of course, the sleeping Liam and Erin below her.

She had paused for the briefest of moments after she had come back in the apartment, watching them sleep. Mary Margaret had set them up in the living room with pillows and blankets. Liam had been fast asleep in the leather recliner, his head slightly lulled to the side, and for a split second she wondered if that was what Killian looked like when he was sleeping. Their son had most definitely inherited his father's dashing good looks. Erin was asleep on the couch, a blanket almost pulled up to her nose, her blonde waves spread out on the borrowed pillow. She was beautiful, even Emma couldn't deny that.

She was still uneasy with the idea that she would one day have not just one, but _three _children. And she had discovered this by the two youngest literally dropping into her life as adults. But in the darkness of her bedroom she couldn't help but wonder what would happen in the next few years that would make her so willing to bring down all her walls with Killian and have children with him. She hadn't lied to him in the hallway. She wasn't disappointed that he would one day be the father of her youngest children. The tiny part of her that knew what they had together, that part she constantly shut down before it gained traction, was thrilled. It made her heart beat faster. In all her twenty-nine years of life she had never once thought she would _willingly_ make the choice to have children, especially after her pregnancy with Henry.

And yet at some point in the near future, she would make that choice with Killian.

Turning her head to look at the red, glowing numbers of her alarm clock now reading 2:35 am, she sighed heavily and threw off her blanket. Sleep was obviously not going to come easy to her tonight. Perhaps a glass of warm milk would do the trick. She tiptoed through the upper section of the loft, not wanting to wake anyone else up. No reason for someone else to loose sleep over her mind that wouldn't shut up.

She had just reached the landing and was about to start down the steps when a movement from below caught her eye. Years of bounty hunting instinct kicked in and she instantly crouched down at the top of the stairs, half hiding behind the wall. There wasn't a lot of light downstairs, save for a few slivers of moonlight that crept in from the windows but she strained her eyes on the spot she thought she had seen the movement come from. A few seconds later she saw it again, this time the moonlight outlining a figure that was moving steadily toward the apartment door.

Emma briefly cursed herself for leaving her gun at the station and was about to go back to her room to find the nearest weapon she could use when a lamp from downstairs was flicked on. Momentarily blinded by the intrusion of light it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust. When they did she saw Liam sat in the same recliner he had been asleep in a few hours earlier, very much awake, and Erin stood by the apartment door, her hand mere inches from the doorknob.

Emma watched as Erin whirled around to face her brother, a look of pure fury on her beautiful features. "Liam!" she hissed quietly. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"I could ask the same question of you, sister," Liam whispered hoarsely with sleep.

Emma saw Erin's jaw clench as she grabbed the red leather jacket she had fallen through the portal in and shrug it on.

"You know exactly what I'm doing."

"I can't let you do this, Erin," Liam whispered, his tone stern, reminding Emma of the few times she had heard Killian use the same tone. Even she knew it meant there would be no arguments.

"I _have_ to do this Liam," Erin quietly said, her eyes momentarily going to the sleeping forms of her grandparents across the room. "You know I do."

Liam sat forward in the recliner, his ocean blue eyes bright and his jaw set firmly. "No Erin, you _can't_ do this." As his sister threw him a look he shook his head to emphasis his point. "If you do what you are thinking of doing Erin you could upset the entire timeline. Is that really what you want?"

Emma saw Erin's eyes flash. "You know it's not," Erin growled. "But you know what is going to happen out there tonight Liam. You know what is going to happen to our father and are you honestly telling me everything in you is not screaming at you to _stop_ it?"

Emma started. Killian? What was going to happen to Killian tonight that had their daughter so riled up? What could cause an entire upset to the timeline if Erin stopped it?

Liam's eyes flashed at his sister. "I never said that, Erin. But you have to think with your head and not your emotions right now. Yes, what happens tonight is going to be awful for him. What he will have to go through will affect him for years to come. But you know as well as I do that despite all the pain he will endure tonight and each night afterward, it will end. And you _cannot_ change how it ends, Em. The way his pain ends is _the most important _moment in his and mom's story. You stop that from happening and everything after it could change or unravel completely."

Emma's head was swimming. What in the Hell was her son talking about? What was the most important thing that would happen to her and Killian? Erin's jaw and fists were clenched tighter than ever as her jade eyes bored into her brother's blue. There was clearly a battle going on in the young woman, between what she wanted to do and the words her brother had spoken which clearly had given her pause to think.

Emma saw the moment that reason won out in her daughter. Erin let out a ragged sigh as she shrugged out of the red leather jacket. Tossing it blindly toward one of the chairs in the living room she walked back to the couch she had been sleeping on not a few hours earlier and plopped down.

"I hate when you are right."

A smile tugged at Liam's lips as he looked over at his sister. "I'm right almost all the time, Em."Erin threw him a murderous look which only made Liam chuckle. "It would seem dad was right to send me back with you to keep you out of trouble.

"He always knows the right thing to do," Erin mumbled, so low Emma almost didn't hear her. She saw Liam reach over the arms of the recliner and couch to take his sister's hand.

"Hey, look at me" he whispered, refusing to look away from her until she did. "Wanting to save him from that pain is okay, Em. He would have the same reaction as you did if the roles were reversed. You know that. But some moments in time are set – no matter how painful they are, they become a part of that person and it makes them who they are. This moment is one of them, especially when it comes to mom and dad."

"I know," Erin whispered, giving Liam's hand a squeeze. "I'm okay, really. You know how I get. And I am glad you are here, that dad knew I would need your calm resolve."

Liam flashed her one of Killian's dazzling smiles, all teeth and twinkling eyes. "Any time, sis. Try to go back to sleep. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Emma watched as her children settled back down under their blankets until Liam reached over and turned off the lamp, plunging the apartment back into darkness, save for the tendrils of moonlight that filtered in. She stayed crouching just out of sight at the top of the landing for a few moments afterward, her heart and mind racing. She slowly stood up and tiptoed back to her bedroom, carefully shutting the bedroom door behind her.

She made a mental note as she climbed back under the covers to ask her children in the morning what was going on with their father.

0000000000

The Snow Queen stood in the middle of her ice cave, a delicate white nail running along the yellow ribbon on her left wrist. It had been hours since the yellow ribbon had briefly flared with a golden light, signaling that Emma had finally accepted her magic as a part of herself. She had thought the simple act of putting the ribbons on Elsa and Emma's wrist a few days before would be enough to give her the power to enact the Shattered Sight Spell. She hadn't taken into account that Emma's past self was far less secure in her magic than the Emma the Snow Queen was use to dealing with.

She scoffed as she thought about the day her entire plan had unraveled in a matter of seconds. She had been furious when she had learned Regina had destroyed her magic mirror, the last piece she needed for the Shattered Sight Spell. So furious that she had instructed her minions to attack the castle directly. She was over playing it safe when it came to getting Emma and Elsa on her side. If she couldn't cast the Shattered Sight Spell she would start picking off their loved ones one by one until they agreed to be her sisters.

They weren't expecting her to appear in the middle of the fight and she had taken them by surprise. As soon as she had appeared Emma's parents had shielded her children but upon seeing Emma's husband she had smirked. She may not be able to get to Emma's children to make her come to her but the Snow Queen could go after the next best thing. She had unleashed the Ice Spell toward the pirate and was a second away from laughing in delight when Emma had pushed him out of the way, the Ice Spell hitting her directly in the chest.

"Such a foolish girl," she said to the empty ice cave. She herself hadn't expected Emma's magic to flare to try to protect her or to merge with her own as a means to do just that. She had departed the battle in a flurry of snowflakes, knowing her entire plan had crashed the moment the spell had struck Emma. Emma's magic was powerful, one of a kind because of her role as Savior, and nothing except an equal magic would be able to release her from her ice dungeon. She knew the only way to salvage her plan was to go back in time and get to Regina's mirror before she could crush it.

Turning to look at the rounded mirror she smiled. It had taken her twenty-nine years to do it but she finally had all the pieces in place to get her sisters. With a wave of her hand the mirror before her cracked, un unseen wind howling through the ice cave before the mirror fragments blew out of the mirror frame amid a dark purple cloud.

Now they would have no choice but to become her sisters and love her.

0000000000

Emma didn't know whether to laugh hysterically or cringe from awkwardness at the scene that was before her.

She was sat at the kitchen bar, a cup of hot cocoa with a sprinkling of cinnamon warming her hands. Mary Margaret stood in front of the sink, Neal securely held in her left arm as she used her right hand to wash out baby bottles. Liam and Erin sat at the kitchen bar with her, each engrossed in their respective morning drinks. Erin was slowly sipping her hot cocoa, which she had eagerly dashed cinnamon on top of without being asked if she wanted anything to go with it. Liam had politely declined any additives to his hot cocoa but when he thought Emma and Mary Margaret weren't looking had reached into the inside of his leather vest and produced a dark bottle, which he had promptly poured a generous amount into his hot cocoa. Emma didn't have to see the arched eyebrow of her daughter to know the bottle contained rum.

She was sat in the kitchen having a morning cup of cocoa with her two adult children, children she would have with Captain _Freaking_ Hook. And her mother, Snow White, was stood there holding her little brother who was twenty-nine years younger than she was. She was suddenly once again over come with the emotion to either laugh or cringe.

Mary Margaret turned from the sink, both her arms now cradling baby Neal. "Are you sure you guys don't want a bigger breakfast? It would be no trouble, really."

"The oatmeal is more than fine, grandma," Liam said, his ocean blue eyes twinkling. Emma wasn't sure if it was their natural state or a rum induced twinkle. Glancing at her mother she saw the biggest grin plastered on Mary Margaret's face at Liam calling her grandmother.

"Well, if you are sure. I'm going to go get Neal and myself ready for the day. You both are free to get whatever you need from the kitchen."

As soon as her mother and little brother disappeared into the bathroom Emma turned to look at her adult children. Erin was humming quietly to herself, still sipping on her cocoa, and Liam's eyes were fixed on a spot on the kitchen wall, his eyes still twinkling. _Yep, definitely a rum induced twinkle_, she thought.

"So," she said, taking a sip of her own hot cocoa, "What happened to your father last night?"

She felt a swelling of motherly pride as Erin's eyes widened in shock and Liam chocked on his rum-hot cocoa concoction. Both of them recovered quickly, their shock giving way to faces a perfect mask of confusion. _Yeah, _Emma thought, _they are definitely mine and Killian's children. _

"What do you mean?" Erin asked, her eyes suddenly intent on the cup in her hands.

Emma narrowed her eyes at her children. "I couldn't sleep last night so I came down to get some warm milk. I ended up over hearing your and your brother's conversation over you wanting to leave and stop something from happening to your father."

Liam groaned, throwing his sister a death glare out of the corner of his eyes.

"It was nothing, really," Erin quickly replied – too quickly.

_Lie_. Emma sat her cup down on the counter and gave both of them a very pointed look. "Do I need to remind you of my super power?"

Liam and Erin shared a look with each other before Liam sighed, setting his rum and hot cocoa down. "It's one of those major events we can't tell you about."

_Truth_. Emma rolled what her son had said through her mind before asking, "Is he in danger?"

Another glance ensued between her children. "No… and yes," Erin replied, and Emma could clearly see her daughter was trying to determine what she could and could not say about the situation. "He isn't in any danger at the moment but what happened last night will eventually put him in danger, yes."

"And you can't tell me what happened to him because this is a major event?"

Liam looked at her, his blue eyes still twinkling from the rum. "It is _the_ single most major event for you and dad. If you have any prior knowledge of it, it could alter the events of what happened. And alter the timeline."

Emma was about to go into a long list of questions, the forefront of them being what was this most important event between her and Killian they kept eluding to, when the front door to the apartment was suddenly flung open. All three of them jumped at the sound, turning their heads to see the raggedly breathing man grasping the doorknob.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Emma asked, immediately standing.

"The clock tower," David gasped out, clearly having run from the location at top speed. "We have to get to the clock tower now!"

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize (not really) for leaving you on a cliffhanger. Happy Holidays everyone!**


	6. Chapter 5: Secrets Revealed

**Author's Note: So, so, sorry for the late posting of this chapter! The holidays stole all my time and then right before the turn of the year the charger for my Mac bit the dust (thanks to my 3 cats, of course). So I had to wait for that to come in and of course once it did I fell sick with a cold. Ugh. Thanks 2015!**

**For purposes of this story Elsa didn't lose Anna's necklace at her first meeting with Emma (you'll understand once you read). **

**My parents got me the book 'As You Wish' for Christmas – shout out to any Princess Bride fans! – so I was feeling nostalgic writing this chapter and did a small shout out, sort of, to the movie. There is also a small nod to my favorite Disney villain of all time – can you find it? **

**As always enjoy and follows/favorites/reviews keep my muse flowing and updates quicker! Barring computer charger eating cats, of course.**

Chapter 5: Secrets Revealed

"This can not be happening," Erin groaned.

She stood inside the clock tower with the little group of people who had been quickly assembled there. She had just handed the strange black spyglasses to Elsa after looking toward the edge of town with them, were she had seen the ominous dark purple cloud slowly making its way over the town.

"Belle was right, my aunt is actually doing this," Elsa breathed, handing the binoculars behind her to Mary Margaret. She shivered slightly, not from a sensation of cold but of fear.

Mary Margaret peered through the binoculars, instantly bringing them back down after she caught sight of the spell's cloud.

"The Spell of Shattered Sight," she whispered.

David took the binoculars from her, intently gazing through them. "We open the mines and the vaults," he said. "We take shelter there."

Regina threw him a pointed look. "This is magic, Prince Charming. It doesn't care about ceilings."

"Regina's right," Liam mumbled, his ocean blue eyes fixed on the looming purple cloud. "It's started."

"How long?" Killian asked from the back of the group. Regina reached over and took the binoculars from David. Peering through them she estimated the ferocity of the spell with how far away it was currently.

"By sundown," she said, slowly lowering the binoculars. "By sundown everyone in this town will start tearing each other apart."

"What do we do?" Elsa asked, turning from the partially opened clock face.

"The answer is simple," Emma said. "Lets not be in town."

"And how do you propose we do that, Miss Swan? Or have you forgotten the giant ice wall keeping us all in?" Regina scoffed.

Emma turned toward her, determination set in her eyes. "We find a way over it. Maybe with brute force we can climb over it and get everyone out."

"We don't have time for this," Erin said, turning to face the entire group. "If this spell is coming we have to leave for our time now. We can't be caught here when the spell unleashes."

"We can't leave the town defenseless," Emma said with a shake of her head. "I know your main goal is to get me to the future to save… myself… but we have to prepare Storybrooke as much as we can before then."

Erin locked gazes with her mother, her jaw clenching, a trait Emma realized she had inherited from Killian. "There isn't time for that, mom. Once the mirror shards start to fall from the sky it will cut off all means of traveling between realms and time. We can't risk that happening in the middle of readying the town."

"And what happens in the meantime while we are gone if we don't, Erin? This spell will cause everyone to see the worse in each other. When Killian and I fell through the Wicked Witch's time portal time didn't stand still here, it continued. It may have been only a few hours but for us it was days. If we don't fortify the town in the few hours we are gone everyone could rip each other apart. I'm pretty sure that _will_ destroy the timeline."

"She's right, Em."

Erin turned an incredulous look on her brother. "Seriously, Liam?"

He shrugged. "Mom is right. It would be a benefit for us to make sure everyone in town is as safe as they can be before we leave. Because we simply don't know how long for them we will be gone. Regina told you at the beginning of this crazy idea there was no way to tell how time runs in different periods."

"It is still a bad idea," Erin said through gritted teeth, her eyes boring into Liam's.

"Perhaps," he murmured, returning her intense gaze. "But you and I were both raised on good form. And good form dictates we secure the citizens of Storybrooke _before_ continuing with our own plan, however bad of an idea we think it might be."

Killian started at the mention of them being raised on good form, noticing how Erin's face instantly relaxed at the mention of it. She held her brother's gaze for a few seconds longer before closing her eyes, sighing.

"Fine. But whatever we are doing we need to do it quickly. What's the plan, mom?"

"It'll be easier if we split up, we can cover more ground that way," Emma said, talking as she headed down the spiral stairs of the clock tower, everyone following her. "Elsa, go to the pawn shop and get a locator potion from Belle and use it on your sister's necklace. If your sister is here in Storybrooke, it will lead you to her. Regina, scour your vault for anything that can help us. If you can't find anything secure Henry and help Robin warn everyone. Mom, find Leroy and spread the word to anyone that Regina and Robin may not reach that if we can't get out of town and there's no other way, they need to lock themselves up from their loved ones. Even if they have to chain themselves to trees or railings, it needs to be done. Dad, Killian, Liam, Erin, and I will go to the ice wall and see if there is a way we can break through."

"All of us need to meet at the docks by sundown," Liam said as the small group emerged from the library's front doors.

Regina stopped on the sidewalk, turning to look at Liam. "Wait, why all of us? The only person you need to go with you is Miss Swan."

"Actually, no, it isn't. It's too much to get into right now but all of you are going to hav—_umpf!" _Erin was caught off mid-sentence as she rounded the corner of the library and ran right into someone. A pair of strong, leather clad arms encircled her and she was suddenly engulfed in a familiar scent of brandy, leather, and roses but not just any roses… _Wonderland roses_. Her eyes flew open and she shoved against the chest she had connected with, her eyes raising to find a familiar pair of brown eyes looking down at her.

"Sorry lass, didn't see you—"

"Uncle Will!" she shouted, a wide grin on her lips.

Will Scarlet looked down at the pretty blonde still encased in his arms, quickly searching his memory for her face. He would surely remember someone as beautiful as she was. He couldn't recall her from the Enchanted Forest though, or any of his travels through Wonderland. But wait… hadn't she called him….

"I think you've got me confused with someone else, love," he said, looking to the small group of people stood around them. They all wore faces of confusion similar to his own although he noticed the black haired man stood closest to them, someone he didn't recognize but who bore an uncanny resemblance to the pirate, wasn't confused. Instead he was giving him a knowing look and a smile.

"No, she doesn't have you confused with anyone else, Uncle Will. You just haven't met us yet."

Will started to ask what the Hell was going on here and how he was someone's uncle when he had no siblings, let alone how he was an uncle to someone he had yet to even meet, but he was stopped by the Evil Queen.

"We do not have time for this, people! Look thief, these two are from the future. They are Miss Swan and Captain Guyliner's future children. While that is fascinating and I'm sure mind boggling, we have a more pressing matter. The Snow Queen's spell is headed this way and we have but mere hours to secure the town before everyone in this entire group, apparently, travels to the future to save Miss Swan's future self. Now, do the two children from the future care to explain _why_ the rest of us must tag along for this?"

"You just have to," Liam said, throwing her a look that coupled with his commanding voice told her in no uncertain terms the subject was to be dropped. "As you yourself pointed out Regina, we don't have time for long explanations right now. We'll explain everything later."

Sensing that everyone needed to get moving and if left without a shove Regina would continue to stand there and argue with Liam and Erin, Elsa moved forward. Her hand went to Anna's necklace that had hung around her neck since she had found it in Gold's shop. "I'm going to head to the shop and get that potion from Belle." She looked to Erin and Liam, giving them a brief nod to show her support. "I'll make sure I'm at the docks by sundown."

"I'll go find Leroy, I'm sure I can find him at Granny's," Snow said as Elsa made her way to Gold's. She leaned up and gave David a quick kiss on the cheek. "See you at the docks, and be careful," she said with a pointed look before her and a sleeping Neal started in the direction of Granny's. Regina made no move, her eyes throwing daggers at Liam who infuriatingly stood there with a smug smile on his face that she had seen on the pirate more times than she could count. After a few tense seconds she turned without a word and headed in the direction of her vault, her heels echoing on the sidewalk with unbridled rage.

"And that just leaves us," Emma said, placing a hand on Killian's arm. "Dad, why don't you take Erin and Liam with you in your truck, Killian and I will follow in my bug."

As the tiny group began to disperse to the cars Liam cleared his throat, catching Erin's attention. At his raised eyebrows and quick look over her shoulder she turned to see Will not-so-stealthily trying to disappear back around the corner. Erin grabbed the back of his leather jacket, halting the thief in his steps.

"Oh no you don't, Uncle Will. You are just as much a part of this as the rest of us."

0000000000

Elsa stood on the empty stretch of beach, the lull of the waves crashing doing nothing to sooth her aching heart or banish the tears that were steadily falling down her cheeks. She had went to the little shop that she had found Anna's necklace in all those weeks ago and just as Emma had suggested inquired to Belle about a locator potion. Belle had been more than willing to help out, quickly handing the potion over and wishing her luck. Once outside the shop Elsa had quickly poured it over Anna's necklace and a glowing, light blue light had immediately appeared. She knew from using the locator potion to find Emma last night at the house that the brighter the light became, the closer she was to her intended target.

The enchanted necklace had lead her to the library, which she had found odd considering the amount of times she had been in there with Belle combing through the books for an answer to what Ingrid wanted. She kept an open mind though, even when Anna's necklace lead her to the moving box she had seen Emma use a few times. Once down in the tunnels the necklace had let her know she was getting closer and hope swelled almost painfully in Elsa's chest. When she had reached a certain point in the tunnel the necklace flared brightly, indicating Anna's presence was somehow on the other side of the tunnel. Without hesitation she had used her magic to ice a small hole into the tunnel wall, more than a little startled to see it opened out onto a beach.

She had followed the necklace's prompts as she went down the beach, confused as to how Anna was close by when there was no one else in sight but her. She kept going though, more than once the necklace leading her almost to the edge of the lapping water. She was about to head more inland than stay along the beach in search of Anna when the necklace suddenly flared brightly and the locator potion went out.

Elsa's heart had broken into a thousand pieces. After everything her and Anna had been through and all that she herself had done to find her sister since being released from that urn, it came down to the fact her sister was lost to her. She looked down at her sister's necklace lying in the palm of her hand and a fresh wave of tears fell from her eyes. Closing her hand around the now dull snowflake she brought it to her heart.

"Anna… wherever you are, whatever happened to you all those years ago… I'm so sorry I wasn't able to find you," she sobbed out. "I just needed you with me. I… I wish you were here with me. Because I _still_ need you Anna, very much so."

A warm, pulsating feeling coming from her hand caused Elsa to wrench her hand away from her heart, opening her palm to reveal Anna's necklace gently throbbing with the light of the locator potion again. Before she could question what was going on or let out a happy sob, a swirling sound caught her attention. Raising her head up she saw a purple portal swirling at the edge of the ocean, the wind picking up as if mother nature knew some kind of magic was at play. Suddenly a rippling light extended from the portal, causing Elsa to momentarily turn her head at the bright lights onslaught. When she looked back the portal was gone, the wind dying back down to the natural gentle breeze coming off the ocean.

But an old chest now sat on the once deserted beach. She stared at it, confused, until the lid on the chest flew open. She raised her hands automatically to protect herself from this new threat when a familiar head with braided, red pigtails popped up, coughing and spluttering. Elsa's heart swelled almost painfully within her chest and her vision was suddenly once again blurred by the tears stinging her eyes.

"ANNA!",

0000000000

"You sure this is going to work?" David asked his daughter as their little group stood at the town line.

Emma looked up at the imposing ice wall, her thoughts momentarily going back to the night she had met a very frightened Elsa who had accidently trapped her in an ice cave. She caught a glimpse of Erin and Liam to her left out of the corner of her eye, Erin's grip still unwavering on the thief's leather jacket. _So much has changed_, she thought. She turned to look at her father. "Even if it doesn't, we have to try." David gave her a nod, readjusting Leroy's pick axe and rope on his shoulder as he cautiously made his way towards the ice wall.

He was a few feet away from it when a sudden and violent tremor went threw the ground as another layer of ice shot up to add to the imposing wall. Unprepared for it the violent tremors sent David falling backwards into the snow that covered the base surrounding the wall. Through his own groaning he heard shouts of "Dad!" and "Grandpa!" behind him. A few seconds later strong hands were helping him up and when he righted himself up he saw Killian and Liam standing in front of him, both their respective right hands still holding his arms as he got his bearings back.

"Dad! Are you okay?" Emma asked in a worried voice, coming to stand just to the left of Killian.

David nodded his head, giving Liam a thankful clap on the shoulder before turning and nodding slightly to Killian. _Why did it always have to be the pirate who saved or helped him? Really._ "Yeah, I'm okay. Just took me by surprise."

"What in the bloody hell was that?" Will asked from his position as Erin's ever present leather accessory. He had to hand it to the girl, she was a stubborn lass – no surprise really considering who her mother was or, would be.

"I'd wager to say it was the Snow Queen's magic," Liam said, his blue eyes scanning the expanse of the ice wall. "With her spell cast she must have put extra energy around the town to ensure no one attempted to escape."

"Wonderful," Emma grumbled. "Now we really have no option but for everyone to bunker down and avoid their loved ones at all costs."

"It's a solid plan, Emma. And your mother and Leroy will be able to warn a fair amount of people before…" David paused, looking around. "Do any of you feel that?"

Everyone wore faces of confusion at the prince's words until as a whole they all felt it at once. It was barely perceptible, just a slight dip in the temperature around them, the wind suddenly had an icy nip to it as it blew across their exposed faces and hands. The temperature seemed to continue to drop until all their breaths came out in puffs, the cold seeping through leather and cotton to their very bones.

"What the bloody—" Killian was cut off by a sudden rush of icy wind, the kind that stole the breath right out of a person. A flurry of snow flakes began to form in front of the ice wall, swirling together in a vortex shape.

"It's the Snow Queen!" David shouted over the roar of the freezing wind, drawing his sword in one smooth motion as the snowflakes began to give way to the Snow Queen's form. Without thinking Killian stepped in front of Erin and Liam, blocking them from the Snow Queen's view.

"Well, well, well," the Snow Queen said as she came into full form. "What do we have here?"

"What do you want, Dairy Queen?"

The Snow Queen turned her icy blue eyes to Emma, a small smile on her lips. "You know what I want, Emma. And when the Spell of Shattered Sight envelopes this town and turns everyone against each other, I will finally have it. After waiting so many years I will have you and Elsa, as sisters."

"That's what you think," Erin said, stepping out from behind Killian. Her lips tugged into a smirk of satisfaction as the Snow Queen's eyes widened, her usual unbreakable façade cracking just a little to reveal her shock of seeing Erin standing there. She quickly recovered though, her shock fading to a look of unbridled hatred at the young blonde woman.

"YOU!" she venomously spit out, her entire body shaking with rage. Liam took the opportunity to poke his head around his father's shoulder, his fingers wagging in mock hello to the ice sorceress. It only infuriated Ingrid more.

"Whatever the two of you are doing here it is too late. The spell has been cast and there is nothing you can do to stop it from ripping this town apart!"

"That's were you are wrong," Erin said, her tone going deathly calm as her green eyes flashed. "You will lose, Ingrid. Villains never win."

"Oh, but we do, princess. You may think you will win coming back to stop me but your plan is already flawed in many, many ways." A slow, evil smile appeared on the Snow Queen's lips as she started walking toward the little group. "Your mother might have put my plan on hold momentarily when she took that spell for her infuriating pirate but this time, I don't plan on missing."

Before any of them could react the Snow Queen's hands came up and with a flick of her left wrist sent David, Killian, Emma, Will, and Erin flying, all of them landing in heaps in the dirt at the side of the road. With her right hand she shot a stream of magic toward Liam, quickly encasing his leather boots with ice, locking him in place. She brought her left hand back in front of her, smiling as dagger-like ice cycles formed in the palm of her hand.

"Now, _pirate princess,_" she sneered, "Your going to watch someone else you love die."

Everything happened at once. At the Snow Queen's words David had propelled himself off the ground, sword held tightly in both hands as he rushed Ingrid. Emma was scrambling to her feet, furiously trying to bring her magic to bare but found herself hitting an internal block, and it felt like her magic was hitting a physical wall inside her that it couldn't climb over. No matter how hard she pushed, her magic wouldn't come to her and panic flooded through her veins as she looked at her future son held in place by the ice at his feet. Somehow sensing what was going on internally for her Killian was on his feet faster than Emma's heart could beat, frantically running toward their son without a thought to his own safety.

But it was Erin whose actions saved the day. Coming up on her hands and knees her blood ran cold at the Snow Queen's words. An image of another day, all those years ago, filled with tears and sobbing flashed through her mind. She knew her grandfather wouldn't get to Ingrid in time and that no matter what he or her father did in those moments, nothing but magic was going to stop her. A strangled "NO!" escaped her lips as the ice daggers flew out of the Snow Queen's hand and without hesitation Erin brought one of her own hands up, a burst of white light shooting out of it. It connected with the ice daggers mere inches from Liam's chest, instantly shattering them into a flurry of harmless snowflakes.

The silence that followed was broken by the Snow Queen's shriek.

"You… have… _magic_?!"

Erin ignored the bewildered looks of her parents and grandfather as she stood up, her steps even and measured as she made her way to her brother whose feet were still incased in ice. Her heart was pumping, her veins coursing with her magic. She could feel it flowing just beneath the surface of her skin, the familiar hum of it comforting to her.

"Aye, I have magic," she whispered, her eyes locked on the retreating Snow Queen. "You care to battle on even ground now, Ingrid?"

The Snow Queen threw daggers at the young woman with her eyes but she didn't move forward to accept the challenge. While she was sure her magic was stronger than Erin's the mere fact that she _had_ magic unnerved the Snow Queen more than she was willing to admit. No, she wasn't afraid of the young princess, but she was smart enough to know that the woman standing in front of her was the daughter of the Savior and while her magic couldn't be as strong as her mother's, it was still magic born from the Savior.

"Perhaps another time, pirate princess." Ingrid's eyes looked to the sky behind them, the spell cloud slowly rumbling over the town. She looked back to the young woman stood next to her brother in the middle of the road and with a wave of her hand she disappeared in a flurry of snowflakes.

The town line fell into silence after the Snow Queen's departure, the only sound being the distant rumble from the spell. Liam broke it by turning his head to look at his sister. "You shouldn't have done that, Erin."

Erin threw her brother a look that Killian knew all to well, the look Emma gave when she had just heard something she couldn't believe, a look that was usually followed with a _really?_

"Seriously, Liam? What did you expect me to do, just let her kill you?"

Liam's jaw clenched at his sister's blunt statement, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. Of course he didn't expect her to sit back while the Snow Queen killed him, especially after she had preluded the act with _that_ statement, going for the maximum hurt by bringing a painful memory for Erin roaring back. But dammit, Erin should have thought her actions out more before reacting. _You may always be your sister's voice of reason, Liam. She's like your mother in that regard – act and then think. _His father's words, said to him after Erin had made an impulsive decision that put her life in danger when they were six, flooding back to him.

Sighing, he said, "Of course not, Em. But we managed to keep the fact you have magic hidden from the Snow Queen for four years. It was one of our last secret weapons."

"And the time came for it to no longer _be_ a secret weapon, Liam." She shook her head, wondering how their father ever thought she was the stubborn twin. "Would you rather I not use my magic anymore and you stay incased in the ice shoes, hm?"

Liam looked down at his feet, still firmly held in place by the Snow Queen's magic and back up to his sister, quirking one of his eyebrows at her. "Thought so," she muttered as she waved her hand at him, the ice instantly dissolving into a puddle of water. They both looked over to the rest of the group, registering for the first time the shock and bewildered looks on all four of their faces.

"Bloody hell…." Will breathed out, still very much rooted to the spot on the ground were he had landed when the Snow Queen had flung him.

Ignoring the Knave Killian looked at his daughter, obvious awe and pride reflecting in his blue eyes. "You have magic, Erin?"

"Aye," she said, her gaze falling to the pavement of the road as she toed it with her leather boot. "It's not that I was keeping it from you. It's just what Liam said – it was a fact we were trying to hide from the Snow Queen."

David sheathed his sword as the immediate threat was gone. "Do you, Liam?"

Liam shook his head. "No, no magic for me. Just my devilishly handsome good looks to aide me in life." Erin rolled her eyes.

Emma looked between her two children, unsure of how to feel about one of her children having magical abilities, especially when it seemed the girl had almost total control over them. Something the Snow Queen had said though was nagging at her and tilting her head she locked her gaze on her daughter.

"What did Ingrid mean by you were going to watch someone _else_ you love die?"

She saw the immediate stiffening of her daughter's body, her head snapping up. There was a multitude of emotions that flickered over Erin's eyes before they went distant, as if she was reliving a memory. "I'm not sure. I'm sure she just meant you. You may not be physically dead but emotionally it sure as hell feels like it."

That was a lie, but Emma could tell any further prodding on the subject would be meet with the same iron door being shut in her face. It was clear whatever the truth was Erin wasn't going to divulge it, choosing to keep the secret wrapped securely around her in order to protect herself. Emma knew one thing for certain, her daughter had been hurt by someone and like Emma, she was withdrawing from the situation. She may not have been physically running away but emotionally she was already half way back to her own time. A quick glance at Killian told her he was thinking the same thing – apparently their daughter was more like her mother than they thought.

A sudden ominous rumble had them all looking behind them back towards town to the dark purple clouds drawing nearer. Liam turned back to face them.

"Time for good form is over. We need to go – now!"

0000000000

The Snow Queen appeared in her ice cave, the swirling snowflakes barely melting away before she was storming around, hands clenched and face full of fury. They were here. The bratty princess and prince were here, in the past. More importantly, the princess had just revealed she had magic. _Magic!_ That threw a complete curveball in her plans. She had assumed the children of the Savior had no magic. They had certainly never hinted in their many encounters through the years there was anything magical about them and if there had ever been a time for them to, it would have been their last encounter in their true time when Emma was struck by the Ice Spell. How had she not _seen_ this for all those years?

Still fuming she walked to the back of the ice cave, her fingers absently toying with the large diamond ring that adorned her left hand. She didn't want to do this. Every time the portal was opened it weakened more and more, and even her magic couldn't repair the damage that was being done to it. She didn't have many more openings of it before it would cease to work at all, rendering her either trapped in this God forsaken time or forever sealing her in her real time.

But she needed to know.

Upon reaching the back wall she waved her hand and the air in front of her shimmered, revealing an ornate white mirror. She muttered the archaic incantation that was almost as old as time as her fingers continued to toy with the diamond ring. A bright golden glow began to emit from the ring and the mirror in front of her flared briefly with the same golden light. Where once the mirror had simply showed her reflection the image in it now reflected an entirely different room to her, albeit still covered in ice.

"Fezzik!"

She waited impatiently as she heard a loud crash through the mirror and the mutterings of '_Com-m-ing Mis-s-tress!'_ Suddenly her Gnome underling appeared in the mirror, clearly frazzled. "Y-y-yes mis-s-tress?"

"We've had an unexpected bump in our plans, Fezzik," she began, reigning in her earlier anger and replacing it with a cold façade. "I have just encountered Princess Erin and Prince Liam here, in Storybrooke. I'm not sure how long they have been here but it's very evident they came back with the sole purpose of stopping me. Get in touch with our mole in the castle – I want to know _immediately _what the Charmings plan is."

Fezzik shook his bald head enthusiastically. "D-do we ne-need to in-inform _her_?"

The Snow Queen shook her head. "No need to inform her of anything until we know for certain what the princess and prince are up to. It may not even interfere with her much larger plan.

"Y-yes, mis-s-tress!" Fezzik said, scurrying off to do his mistress's bidding.

The Snow Queen sighed as the mirror flared brightly again, the glass once again simply showing her reflection, severing the fragile link of the past and future for now. Fezzik was a mindless puppet, someone who had never had an original thought of his own his entire pathetic existence. But he was loyal to her, almost to a fault, and would do anything for her.

As she made her way back outside her ice cave to survey the impending damage that would result from the Shattered Sight Spell, an evil laugh bubbled within her. The Charmings may think they had the upper hand but she was five steps ahead of them. Whatever their plan was it would easily be thwarted – if not by her, than _she_ would find a way to knock the wind out of the royal family.

And the Charmings feared the Mistress of all Evil more than they feared the Snow Queen.

0000000000

Killian stood on the docks, absent mindedly running a finger along the curve of his hook. The little group that had went to investigate the town line had arrived just moments ago with Erin and Liam both swearing. They only had a few more minutes left before sundown, before the purple clouds completely covered Storybrooke and unleashed their dark curse and they were still missing Elsa, Mary Margaret, and Regina.

He looked around the small group. David was stood not far from him, tapping away on his talking phone trying to get in touch with Mary Margaret. Emma was a ways down the dock, gesturing wildly with her free hand, clearly in a heated discussion with Regina. Will was sat on a crate to his right and sipping from a bottle he had pulled from his leather coat. While he was still obviously not happy with being railroaded into this little adventure he hadn't made a move to try to sneak away since Erin's display of magic at the town line. Erin and Liam had both referred to him as an uncle, and Killian was sure a fear of Erin's magic wasn't what was keeping the thief with them – it was curiosity. Curiosity as to how he, a newcomer to Storybrooke who kept having unfortunate run ins with its Sheriff and her pirate boyfriend, would one day be close enough to their children for them to call him Uncle Will.

Killian let his eyes drift over to his children who were stood away from the rest of the group, talking in hushed voices. Magic, Erin had magic. The fact she had magic didn't terrify him – she was the daughter of the savior, it was almost expected she would have it – what terrified him was the look that had crossed her face when Emma had asked her who the Snow Queen was referring to that she had lost. Erin had waved it off as the person being Emma but Killian knew better. Like her mother, Erin was an open book to him. She may really feel like her mother was dead but she still held hope that this plan would work, that Emma's past self would be able to free her future self from the ice. The look that had filtered over her eyes was one of complete loss, the kind were there was no hope left.

It was a look he had seen in his own eyes for centuries after he had lost Milah. And that was what terrified the former ruthless pirate captain.

"We're here!"

Killian snapped out of his thoughts to look down the length of the dock to see Mary Margaret and a smiling Elsa running toward them.

"Where is the baby?" David asked, wrapping his arms around his wife as she reached him.

"We left Neal with Elsa's sister. I figured it wouldn't be safe to bring him along on our little time traveling adventure."

"Aunt Elsa's sister…. as in, Anna?" Liam asked, incredulously.

Elsa, taken aback by hearing herself referred to as 'aunt', took a moment to respond. "Yes, Anna. I found her!"

David frowned. "How? I thought she wasn't in Storybrooke?"

"She wasn't," Elsa started, her smile nearly splitting her face. "Anna's necklace, the one I found in that shop full of things, apparently had a wishing star inside it. After the locator potion lead me to the beach and died, I was desperate. I just simply wished that my sister was here with me and the next thing I knew, there was a chest sitting on the beach and Anna and Kristoff were popping out of it!"

"That's great!" Emma exclaimed, having come back to the group.

"After going through town with Leroy and warning everyone I ran into the three of them coming out of the library. I took Kristoff to the police station and locked him in a cell, then took Anna to our loft so she'd have some were peaceful to watch over the baby." Mary Margaret looked between her husband, grandchildren, and her daughter's boyfriend. "I take it there was no way to get over the ice wall?"

David quickly relayed to his wife the events that had unfolded at the ice wall. At the mention of the Snow Queen's attempted attack on Liam Mary Margaret rushed from her husband's side to stand in front of her future grandson, quickly taking his face in her hands.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked quickly, her voice filled with concern.

Taken aback by the sudden display of affection from a woman who had just learned he was her grandson the previous evening, Liam only nodded. It was really all he could have done in that moment anyway. If he had spoken his voice would have cracked with emotion at the familiar feeling Mary Margaret had risen in him. She may not technically be his grandmother at this instant in time, but the act she had just done was something her future self, the woman he had known as his grandmother his entire life, had done more times than he could count. And even though a version of her was stood right in front of him, he suddenly found himself missing his grandmother very much.

"Well, I'm here. Now what?" Regina's voice broke through the intimate moment between grandmother and grandson, clearly agitated that she even had to be there.

"Is Henry somewhere safe?" Emma asked.

Regina nodded. "I put him in my old office and put a protection spell on it. I couldn't find anything in my vault that would work in staving off this spell though. I also informed Robin of what he and his men needed to do and they were going to spread the word to anyone Snow couldn't reach. So now that I'm here, can we please have an explanation as to why all of us must make this little time traveling adventure?"

"Because it was prophesied," Liam stated, as if that explained the entire situation.

Regina raised a finely manicured eyebrow. "A prophecy?"

"A Seer gave you the prophecy a few weeks before our birth, actually," Erin supplied. "It wasn't in direct correlation with _this_ event but rather the entire event that is our lives. The prophecy states:

_And they shall be born in the heart of the storm, one fair, one dark. _

_A great evil will come for them and they must be protected. _

_Their guardians will be many –_

_The Man with a Courageous Heart _

_The Woman as White As Snow_

_The Woman with Ice Within He_

_The Man of Many Travels_

_The Queen of Many Queens_

_The Man of Two Lands_

_The Man of The Sea_

_The Princess Who Isn't a Princess_

_The Man with Two Markings. _

_They shall guard them all their lives._"

"You have a prophecy about you?" Emma all but shrieked.

Erin and Liam both turned to look at their mother, one blonde and one black eyebrow rising in unison – _Seriously, there was no way in Hell Killian could __**ever**__ deny these two, _she thought. "Yes mom, as did you. Sort of."

"Getting back to the point," Regina said. "So the guardians listed in the prophecy are all of us I'm taking it?" Liam and Erin both nodded.

"The Man with a Courageous Heart?"

"Grandpa," Liam responded.

"The Woman as White as… well, clearly Mary Margaret," Regina muttered, getting an affirming nod from the two children.

"The Woman with Ice Within Her?"

"Aunt Elsa, obviously."

"The Man of Many Travels?"

"Uncle Will."

"Man of many travels is bloody right," the Knave muttered to himself.

"I'm obviously the Queen of Many Queens."

Liam rolled his eyes. "Same old Regina, no matter what time period."

"The Princess Who Isn't a Princess?"

"Mom," they both replied in unison.

"And the Man with Two Markings is Hook somehow?"

"Yep," Erin said, popping the 'p' on the end. She turned to look at her father. "We can't actually tell you _why_ you are written in the prophecy that way. It has something to do with a future event for you but rest assured, it's nothing bad. Far from it, actually." Killian simply nodded.

"And the Man of Two Lands and the Man From the Sea?"

"The Man of Two Lands is our Uncle Neal," Liam said. "We still haven't discovered who the Man From the Sea is."

"And because of this prophecy all of us have to go in time with you?" Elsa asked timidly.

"Yes," Erin said. "During any major event in our lives all or some of you are there. Sometimes it's just one, other times the entire clan tags along. Those are the really fun ones."

"Speak for yourself," Liam grumbled. "I don't recall the little family outing to Ursula's lair being _fun_."

"Probably because you spent most of that trip in love with a mermaid, Liam."

"What?!" Killian shouted.

"Long story," Liam grumbled again, throwing his sister a dagger laced look. "It's bad form to remind a man of when he was under a curse and couldn't control his actions, Em."

Erin shrugged with a smile tugging at her lips, the picture of innocence.

"Not to cut into the nauseating sibling love," Regina began, "but if we are doing this we need to do it now. It's only a matter of minutes until this spell takes over the town. So can we get this time traveling adventure started?"

"We aren't traveling through time… yet," Liam said, reaching into his vest.

"I thought we were going to the future to save the bloody sheriff?" Will spoke before anyone else could voice their confusion.

"We are," Liam said, talking to his future uncle as if he were a three year old child. "But in order to time travel, you have to cast a time traveling spell. And to do that you have to have specific ingredients and a Hell of a lot of magic, which is where you come in," he said, his eyes swinging to Regina.

"Me? I know nothing about casting time traveling spells!"

"You don't now but your future self does," Erin said, pulling something from her own pocket and keeping her hand closed around it. "You sent instructions along with us to give to yourself on what needed to be done. So now we need to travel to the Enchanted Forest in _this_ time and cast the spell to get us back to our time."

"Why not just cast the spell here?" Emma asked.

"Storybrooke doesn't have the ingredients," Liam replied, raising his arm to throw whatever he had retrieved from his vest into the water.

"Wait!"

Regina's outburst startled all of them, causing all eyes to turn to the former Evil Queen. "I may not know much about time portals but I do know traveling them is far different than navigating your average portal. With a group this big we're going to need a vessel of some sorts to travel through a portal. Otherwise we could all end up in different parts of the Enchanted Forest."

"Got that covered, Regina," Liam said with a smug smile on his lips, shaking his closed hand. At her raised eyebrow Liam softly tossed whatever had been in his hand into the waters, Erin chanting something next to him. Amid the sounds of the harbor the group heard the tiniest sound of glass breaking, and they all stood closer to the edge of the dock to see what could possibly be a vessel that Liam had had stored in his vest. Suddenly the air around them tingled with magic, felt most keenly by Regina, Emma, Elsa, and Erin, and then there was a brilliant flash of light. They covered their eyes, momentarily blinded by it. When they turned back there was a few collective gasps of recognition, none more loudly that Killian's.

There in the harbor of Stroybrooke sat his beloved Jolly Roger.

**Author's Note: I love the potential of Will Scarlett's character so I had to throw him in here. Lots and lots planned for him with some Charming family feels thrown in!**


	7. Chapter 6: Quiet Moments

**Author's Note: I'm half asleep right now but I wanted to edit and get this chapter up before going to bed (dedication people, dedication). Somewhat of a long chapter. I kept adding to it and couldn't find a natural end to it. **

**LaDiDaDa**** - Yes, Maleficent! My all time favorite Disney villain, just had to work her in there. And I am such a Maleficent fan that when her character first appeared on OUAT I almost stopped watching it all together because I was like what are those tiny purple horns?! But I knew Captain Hook was coming in Season 2 so I forced myself to keep watching. So, so, so happy they went with the more traditional look this season. Although what the heck is up with Ursula's costume? My second favorite Disney villain and I just kept cringing every time they showed her during the winter finale. **

**To the reader who PM me saying you liked how I was writing Emma's internal struggle over this, thank you! I just went through a fairly nasty divorce at the end of last year so I can kind of relate with the whole having walls up and being afraid to let someone in. **

**As always hope you enjoy and reviews/favorites/follows keeps the muse happy!**

Chapter 6: Quiet Moments

The ocean was constant.

It had lapped at the shores for eons, older than the oak trees whose roots had seeped into the ground for centuries. It had claimed countless lives and given birth to just as many. Its depths held more secrets than the greatest Seers. The fact sailors referred to the constant body of water as 'she' was apt. Like a woman she had many moods – she could be calm and sensual, fierce and vengeful, dark and choppy. The ocean was the one constant in an ever changing world.

Today she was calm, content with simply kissing the seashore like a lover, slow and languid. The sun shined brightly overhead, its warmth never coming close to reaching her vast depths. Suddenly in the stillness of the afternoon sun the water began to churn, violently, dropping down to create a vortex. From the depths of the vortex shot out the Jolly Roger, sailing through the air before landing with a large splash onto the ocean's surface.

Having traversed more than his fair share of portals aboard his ship, Killian knew the landing was going to be rough. As the Jolly Roger started falling horizontally after coming out of the vortex he kept hold of the ship's helm with his good hand, reaching to wrap his hook arm around Emma's waist, pulling her into his side. She grabbed onto the lapels of his modern day leather jacket as he threw her one of his dazzling smiles.

"Hold on tight, love," he whispered before he looked out over the deck of the Jolly Roger. "Brace for impact!" he shouted.

As the ship hit the ocean it jostled everyone around. Centuries of sailing through rough storms had him prepared for it though and with a widen stance and a firm grip on the helm it barely registered with him. As the ship bobbed and steadied herself in the rolling waves he looked out over the deck, taking stock to make sure everyone was alright.

He noticed with swelling pride that Liam and Erin had both grabbed one of the many ropes that ran down the side of the ship to hang onto, their widened stances a clear indication that they knew how to ride out a storm aboard a ship. David, having experienced the jostling when they went to Neverland, had wrapped an arm through the railing that was in front of the helm, Mary Margaret held tightly to him with the other arm. Regina, another veteran of portal jumping, also had a rope firmly grasped in her hands. Elsa and Will were not as lucky.

As the Jolly Roger landed Elsa tried desperately to grab onto something but couldn't find purchase. She landed with a dignified _umpf!_ on a stack of bags. Will, who had been standing dead center of the deck had no chance to brace himself and as the ship landed, he went sprawling across the deck.

"You alright over there Uncle Will?" Erin shouted with laughter.

"_Bloody hell_," Will groaned, trying to get his bearings as his head pounded.

"Elsa, you okay?" Emma asked from beside Killian, her hands still firmly grasping the lapels of his jacket.

"I'm okay," she said, gratefully accepting Liam's outstretched hand to help her up.

"So we're in the Enchanted Forest, now what?" Regina said from her position next to the railing of the ship.

"First things first, it's time for full disclosure," Liam said, turning to his sister. "Erin, why don't you take everyone below deck and talk to them. I'll keep us on course while you do." Erin nodded her agreement, making her way to the hatch that lead down to the captain's cabin as Liam moved to the helm. He did nothing to hide the smile that crossed his face as he noticed his mother still clinging to his father's jacket, a sight he had seen countless times on the deck of the Jolly Roger as he had grown up.

Emma looked to Killian as they made their way down to the cabin behind everyone else. She couldn't help the warm tugging sensation in her heart at the look on his face. There was unbridled pride and awe shining in his blue eyes as he watched his – _their _– son take the wheel, completely at home with the spokes in his hand. That same look, plus shock, had been on his face when the Jolly Roger had magically appeared at the dock in Storybrooke courtesy of a shrinking spell from Gold's future self according to Liam. None of them had been expecting Killian's ship to be the vessel they would take to get to the Enchanted Forest, least of all him.

At the sight of the ship that had been his home for 200 years, a home he had willingly and without hesitation traded to get to Emma, Killian and reached for her hand, his rings biting almost painfully into her hand with the strength that he held onto her with. Even with the urgency of the situation hanging over them in the form of the rolling spell clouds Erin and Liam had given their father a few moments to just walk the deck of his ship, his hand running along the railing like a lover's caress. At Erin's gentle but firm prodding that they needed to get going Emma had seen the shift in him, physically and emotionally. As Erin had thrown the magic bean into the harbor Killian had strode across the deck, every inch the pirate captain that had been at her helm for untold centuries.

Emma had found it rather attractive seeing him back in his element, she had to admit to herself, and found herself missing his familiar pirate garb for the first time since their date. They followed the others down the ladder, emerging into the familiar confines of the spacious cabin. Killian looked around the room that had been his home for centuries and noticed not much had changed since the last time he had been within her walls. The same bed stood in the left corner, Liam's books still lined the shelf below the large window, and the table which had weathered many a storm, both physically and emotionally, sat in the middle of the room with various maps and papers strewn across it.

He recognized a vast majority of the items scattered about the cabin but there were some his future self had added at a later date that weren't familiar to him – a few books on the book case he didn't recognize, a couple of random items scattered along shelves – but the most prominent thing he didn't recognize sat in the center of the table. It was a beautifully sculpted replica of a swan at rest, his centuries of pirating recognizing it was crafted out of onyx. Erin, who had taken the seat behind the desk that faced the entire cabin, noticed her father eyeing the onyx Swan.

"It was a gift, from mom," she said as a way of explanation. "It was a wedding anniversary present. Tenth, I believe."

"It's perfect," Killian murmured, taking the seat to Erin's left, absently letting his fingers run over the smoothness of the sculpture. As her father got lost in his thoughts Erin looked around at the assembled group, waving a hand around the cabin.

"Please, have a seat. I'll try to answer any and all questions that we already haven't answered."

"You said my future self left instructions on creating a time portal?" Regina asked, crossing her arms and leaning up against one of the cabin walls.

"Oh, yes." Erin immediately started shuffling the maps and papers around on the desk, looking for something. After a few seconds she found what she was looking for and handed it to Regina. Taking the folded parchment one of Regina's eyebrows rose when she recognized the seal – her seal. Breaking it she quickly opened the parchment, her eyes scanning her familiar hand writing.

"Will it be hard to cast?" Mary Margaret asked from her seat next to Elsa on the bed.

"Surprisingly, no," Regina said, her eyes still on the parchment in her hand. "Which is odd considering how long time travel has been sought after." She looked at Erin. "How exactly do I come to know the secrets of time travel?"

"It was necessary for us to unlock that secret during the Time War."

"Time War?" David asked from his position across from Erin at the table.

"Aye, the Time War. In the future there is a powerful sorceress who attempts to use time to take back a kingdom she thought was rightfully hers. It wasn't, of course, and the rightful King asked grandpa for his assistance. The sorceress believed that if she could harness the power of time itself she could wrestle the kingdom back. In order to combat that you and Rumplestiltskin dwelled into it and discovered how to achieve time travel – with the help of Aunt Belle, of course." Erin smiled. "Aunt Belle's books have saved us more than once, actually."

"So all we have to do is travel to Regina's castle here and cast the spell. Sounds simple enough," Elsa interjected.

"That's not quite the plan."

"Of course it's never that simple," Emma muttered. Looking to Erin she added, "So what _is _the plan?"

"Regina can poof herself to her castle to start the process of creating the time portal. It's fairly easy but time consuming – pardon the pun. While she's doing that we will set sail for grandma and grandpa's castle."

"Our castle?" Mary Margaret asked, bewildered. "There's nothing there, just ruins. Why do we have to go there?"

"We need to contact our time, see how things are there and if by the smallest chance, we've altered the timeline in any way."

Emma's eyes widened. "You can contact the future?"

"It's not as simple as it sounds," Erin mused, her eyes going to one of her father's maps scattered on the table, her brow furrowing in a way that reminded Killian of Emma. "Contact between times is possible but certain criteria have to be met in order to do so – another aspect of time travel you and Rumple researched tirelessly, Regina. In order to communicate with a specific time you have to use a vessel that resides in both times. So far we've only ever known for mirrors to be this vessel. But a simple item in both times isn't enough. You also have to have a powerful talisman from the time you are trying to contact, to help concentrate the magic to the vessel that resides in its time."

"And we need to go to our castle here because the vessel lies there?" asked David. Erin nodded.

"But how can you be certain the object is still there? I'm sure the castle has been plundered by ogres and the like."

Erin looked to her grandmother, a brief flash of sadness crossing her eyes. "It'll be there because it was still in the castle when all of you left Storybrooke and came back to the Enchanted Forest. It still resides there, actually. The mirror we have to use… it's in mom's abandoned nursery."

Mary Margaret's eyes instantly fell to the floor of the cabin and Emma's heart ached for her mother. Images of an over turned crib, toys and animals scattered across the floor, shattered dreams filtered across Emma's mind and she knew Mary Margaret was reliving every single one of them as well. David went to stand up to go to his wife but Mary Margaret, her head still down held out a hand to stop his movements. After a few deep breaths she looked up, blinking the unshed tears back furiously before nodding to the room to continue the discussion.

"What about the powerful talisman you spoke of?" Will interjected from his spot against the cabin wall.

Erin reached down and produced a necklace from inside her white shirt. "That would be this." Between her thumb and index finger lay a peridot ring – the same one that currently rested on Mary Margaret's left hand.

"My ring?" Mary Margaret gasped, her eyes filtering between the ring still firmly on her hand and the one Erin held up.

"It is perhaps _the_ symbol of your and grandpa's True Love, which makes it a very powerful talisman," Erin said as she smiled at her grandmother.

"But there's nothing magical about the ring. It's just my mother's ring," David said.

"An object doesn't have to be magical to be a talisman," Regina said in her magical-authority tone. "All an object needs to be considered a talisman is a special connection. This ring obviously plays a large part in your and Mary Margaret's love story, thus, it's a symbol or talisman of that love. Everyone in the world has a talisman, something they connect with beyond a physical level. And in turn most couples, especially those of True Love, have a talisman that represents their relationship."

Erin nodded her head in agreement. "Exactly. We thought it best to bring this talisman since it resides here in the past as well."

"So what do we do now?" David asked.

Erin looked at her grandfather. "Liam and I will figure out exactly where we are in relation to your and grandma's castle. With the way portals work we shouldn't be far, two days out at the max." She turned to look at Regina. "If you want to rest before –"

"No need," Regina said, cutting her off. "The quicker we get this spell cast and rescue Miss Swan's future self, the quicker I can get back to Henry." Without any preamble she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

"You'd think I'd be use to Regina's ability to cut right to the problem by now," Erin muttered, raising one blonde eyebrow in annoyance. "I recommend that the rest of you get some rest while you can. It's been a rather long day for all of us. The crew quarters are more than comfortable."

"We remember the way," David said, giving his granddaughter a smile as he took Mary Margaret's hand and lead her up the ladder.

"Got any rum on this pirate ship?"

Erin looked at her Uncle Will out of the corner of eye. "The barrels outside the crew quarters hold the rum. Try not to get _too_ plastered, Uncle Will."

"Much thanks, lass," Will said and disappeared up the stairs, quickly followed by Elsa. Erin looked to her parents, expecting them to follow the rest of the group but neither moved from their seats, a set of ocean blue and jade green eyes set firmly on her. She mentally sighed. She should have known the past versions of her parents would have more questions, questions they wouldn't want to ask with an audience.

"I'm an open book," she said to both of them, her father's cheeky smug tugging at her lips. Killian and Emma glanced at each other, both knowing the question the other wanted to ask. After a few seconds Emma gave him a small nod to ask first. She knew the question that was burning at the forefront of his mind and for everything he had done for her, everything he had given up for her, he deserved to ask that question first.

"The Jolly Roger." He didn't frame it as a question, didn't elaborate – there was no need to. Erin knew at this point in her parent's timeline her father had recently given up his beloved ship to get to her mother. It was an aspect of their story that as a child she had found enduring, romantic. As an adult with a love of the sea herself she had realized the sacrifice her father had made and it filled her with pride to be this man's daughter – a man who would go to the ends of the world for his family.

"A month or so after everyone's return to the Enchanted Forest you get the ship back."

Killian slowly raised one eyebrow at his future daughter. "I don't see Blackbeard willingly handing her over, lass. Not when the trade we struck was fair"

"Indeed," she said. "He didn't want to hand it over to begin with but when he was faced with the magic of a hormonal Savior and the very pointed end of Prince Charming's sword, he very quickly vacated the ship."

He hadn't been expecting that. "I didn't take back my own ship?!"

She gave him a small smile. "No, dad, you didn't. Upon your return you were content with the Jolly remaining were she was. I think in some way you didn't want mom to feel like you _had _to have it in order to be happy. With everything you had done for Storybrooke and the family up until that moment mom, grandma, and grandpa thought you deserved to at least have the last reminder of Uncle Liam that you had. So mom and grandpa set out and got the ship back from Blackbeard and surprised you with it."

"Your grandfather… David… helped with the process of getting my ship back?"

"Grandpa and you become very close in the future. It's a really sweet… bromance."

Emma couldn't help but snicker at Erin's comment. At Killian's puzzled look she muttered that she would explain it to him later. Knowing the pirate had asked his most pressing question, she looked back to their daughter.

"This morning in the loft you alluded to a massive moment between Killian and me, one that is directly related to whatever happened to him last night…"

Both father and daughter tensed at Emma's words. If he had a heart Killian was positive it would have been beating like mad out of his chest. His blue eyes flashed from Emma to Erin, who refused to look away from her mother's face. Logically he knew, should have known, that Erin and Liam would know about the events that had occurred last night between him and the crocodile. They were from his future – a future in which his heart was clearly not crushed by the little imp – but Emma had no way of knowing what had happened. As far as he knew she had been safely tucked away in her parent's loft while the crocodile stole his heart.

Speaking slowly, picking her words carefully Erin said, "As Liam said this morning what happened to dad last night will directly lead to the most important moment for the two of you. And it's not something we can give you specifics on."

Emma refused to accept that answer. "You've told us a lot of information about the future – the fact we unlock the secrets to time travel, Killian getting his ship back, the prophecy concerning you and Liam – how are those things different than this single moment? Won't we remember all this information once we leave the future? And weren't you hell bent on stopping whatever happened yourself?"

Erin sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She should have known her mother wouldn't leave this subject alone. It was a mystery and if there was one thing Emma Jones couldn't leave alone, it was a mystery. While she normally loved her mother's ability to hack away at anything until she revealed the truth, a trait Erin was proud to admit she had gotten from her, in this moment she was inwardly cursing that ability.

"Regina and Rumple are working on memory potions strong enough to wipe your memories after we break you from the ice. However as we've seen in the past, sometimes memory potions don't completely wipe the memory of a person who has traveled _forward_ in time. We don't know why it doesn't work completely. You won't remember meeting me and Liam or anything we have or will do but inklings will remain. It will feel like déjà vu or a daydream to you. We can't risk one of those moments being a detail about a monumental moment and it causing you to make a different choice. As for me trying to stop it… I rarely think before I act, probably why dad insisted Liam come along to keep me in line. I was wrong to even attempt to try to stop it from happening."

"So everything you have told us up until this point…"

"Are details that don't require a choice to be made, nor are they moments that if changed, would unravel the timeline." Erin gave her a mother a very pointed look. "Liam wasn't lying to you this morning. This future moment between you and dad is a pivotal moment for the two of you. _The_ most pivotal moment in your entire story, aside from probably deciding to climb the beanstalk together."

Emma looked to Killian and saw that he was looking at her intently. Her mind was suddenly filled with _I was hoping it would be you_… _I love a challenge_… _Have you ever been in love? _Where would her and her pirate be if she hadn't agreed to be the one to climb the beanstalk with him? Would they have still made that connection in another scenario?

"Is it… is it the moment our relationship changes?"

Killian knew what she was trying to ask – was this pivotal moment Erin kept talking about the moment Emma finally let her walls completely down, when she would accept that she loved him? He knew neither of those had happened until this point but for them to have children in the future, to be happy as far as their children were concerned, it clearly had to have. Erin was still looking at her, clearly weighing the pro and cons to answering her question.

"Aye. But there isn't much more I can say on the matter."

Emma nodded, not fully satisfied but confident that at some point she would find the answers out. Before she could ask anything more Erin stood up and started heading toward the ladder. "You should really get some rest, no way of knowing when the next time we'll have access to beds once we make land for the castle. Use this cabin; it's yours, of course. Liam and I will keep us on course."

"Wait," Emma said, turning around in her chair. "Can two of you really sail this ship by yourselves?"

Erin turned to face her parents, a smirk tugging at her lips. "It wouldn't be the first time Liam and I borrowed the Jolly Roger and sailed it with just the two of us."

Emma raised her eyebrow, albeit not with the finesse Killian or their children could. "And being the children of a pirate what you mean by 'borrow' is actually steal."

Erin laughed at the comment, her green eyes twinkling with untold secrets of just how right her mother's statement was, and answered with an "Aye" as she climbed the ladder to relieve her brother at the helm.

OOOOOOOOOO

**Enchanted Forest**

_**The Future**_

Snow White stood at the entrance to the room, her eyes traveling the intricate design around the door frame. No matter how many times she had walked through this door over the last twenty-six years she was always met with a barrage of emotions. Long ago this room had been a source of immense joy for her, full of hope of things to come. Limitless dreams and unspoken potential filled the room, a promise to the next chapter in her and Charming's life. And then in one night all that had been shattered by a curse.

When they had returned to the Enchanted Forest all those years ago it had been one of the first rooms they had made sure was fixed back up. It had required some of Regina's magic to complete the process in time but the end result had been magnificent – a beautiful room filled with light and all that lost hope from years ago. But no matter how many times she stood in the room amid the various baby toys she always still saw it as she had that night her and Emma had come to it while trying to get back to Storybrooke – destroyed stuffed animals, the over turned crib, the loss of dreams and hope.

Pushing the memory and any lingering emotions aside, she quietly opened the door and slipped inside. It was still early, the sun just starting to peek out of the horizon, bathing the room in a gentle, warm golden light. As quietly as possible she made her way to the ornate crib that sat in the middle of the room. Coming to the crib she couldn't help the smile as she looked down at the sleeping form beneath her nestled under a knitted white blanket. A cascade of raven locks fanned out behind the sleeping girl and unable to resist, Snow gently moved a few stray locks away from the girl's face.

There hadn't been much light in the last twelve days for the Queen of the Enchanted Forest. Twelve days ago Emma had been incased in her ice vault, locked away from any attempts by her family to save her. It had been ten days since they had sent Erin and Liam to the past and it had been the longest ten days of Snow's life. The only way they had known they had arrived safely was when Elsa and Killian had gotten their new memories of seeing them. They had all been elated by the news, a small flame of hope lit that this plan could work, that they could save Emma. Memories had been trickling to Regina, Charming, Killian, and herself of interacting with the children, each new memory keeping the flame of hope alive.

An image of her daughter lying serenely behind a glass wall, unmoving, with a broken Killian sitting vigil next to her flooded Snow's mind and a fresh wave of tears sprang to her eyes. She was so tired of crying. She was sure there wasn't anything left in her and then a moment would catch her and somehow from the depths of her despair, the tears would still come. She was the queen of hope speeches, the first to give it when others couldn't find it in themselves but the last twelve days had zapped even her of her never ending hope. The only light in her darkness lay in the crib below her, innocent and untouched by the evil of this world.

Looking up from the sleeping child her eyes fell to the glass unicorn mobile hanging above the crib. She had been so thankful that upon their return all the items that had been in Rumple's shop had returned to their rightful owners, Emma's unicorn mobile being one of them. Emma had been insistent on hanging it over Erin's crib once Regina had completed the restoration of the nursery, an act that had filled Snow with so much love. And now they hung over the sleeping angel, a family tradition continued.

"Snow?"

Snow turned at the quiet whisper of her name to see Charming walking into the nursery. She smiled at him as she bought a finger to her lips, indicating that the occupant in the crib was still asleep. He slowly made his way to stand next to her, a smile coming to his lips as he looked down at the angelic sight.

Putting his hand on his wife's lower back he whispered, so as not to wake the child, "What are you doing in here?"

Snow gave him a small smile that came no were to reaching her eyes. "I barely slept," she whispered back, her gaze going back to the sleeping child. "I just needed to see her."

"I know what you mean," Charming said, once again looking down at the child. "Sometimes I sneak in here in the middle of the night and just stare at her for hours."

"Being with her is the only thing that gives me hope anymore," Snow whispered, unshed tears stinging her eyes again. Charming brought her into his side, giving a quick kiss to her temple.

"The plan will work, Snow. Erin and Liam will get Emma's past self here and they'll –"

Charming was cut off by the searing pain in his head, one hand reaching up to grasp his head while the other one tightened on the railing of the crib until his knuckles were white. The only thing that kept him from crying out from the pain was the fact he didn't want to wake the child. He felt Snow's hand grip his shoulder as an onslaught of new memories filtered through his brain of standing on the dock at Storybrooke with Erin and Liam, then sat across from Erin in the cabin of the Jolly Roger as she explained how they would contact the future. As the pain and memories subsided he opened his eyes to see Snow almost bent over, holding her own head in her hand.

"Snow?" he hoarsely whispered, his head still giving a dull ache.

"Me too," she replied, slowly standing back up. When she looked at her husband tears were falling down her cheeks. "They're in the Enchanted Forest, Charming."

"I know," he breathed, bringing her into a fierce hug. "It won't be long now until Regina's past self will cast the time spell and they'll be here." He pulled away from her, his hands still gripping her arms. "They will succeed, Snow. We just have to have hope."

"I know," she gasped quietly through the tears. "You should go and let the others know. And check on Killian when you do."

Charming nodded, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. With a final look to the sleeping child he turned and left the nursery. As the door closed Snow turned back to the crib, a small laugh escaping her as she looked down into eyes as blue as the ocean after a storm.

"Well hello there," she cooed, gently picking the child up. She was instantly met with a dazzling smile that filled all the dark corners of Snow's mind with blinding love. With the child resting on her hip she walked to the balcony doors, gently opening one to let in the fresh morning air. She looked down at the little girl in her arms as those blue eyes studied her intently.

"They will find succeed," she said, kissing the top of the raven locks. "This family never gives up... no matter what."

OOOOOOOOOO

**Enchanted Forest**

_**Present Day**_

_Killian stood in the meadow, his heart racing. Gold stood in front of him in all his Rumplestiltskin glory and holding a red, beating heart in his hand. His laughter cut straight to the pirate's bones. Killian looked down at his feet and saw Emma sprawled on the ground beneath him, her green eyes staring up at him, pleading. He immediately dropped to her, cradling her head against his chest. _

"_Killian…." She gasped out; one of her hands coming up to grab his leather jacket like it was a life line. He looked back up to Gold who was steadily squeezing the beating heart in his hand. Fear and dread coursed through his veins. This couldn't be happening again, not to Emma. He couldn't lose her, not the same way he had lost Milah. _

"_Gold! Stop!"_

"_Sorry, dearie. You stopped her from going into the hat. And this is the price you must pay." _

_Gold's grip on Emma's heart tightened and she gasped in his arms. He looked into her eyes, his vision blurring with tears. _

"_Emma, love, hold on. Your parents will be here soon. Just hold on!"_

"_Killian… I… I can't," she gasped out, her eyes closing against the onslaught of pain. _

"_No, no, no, no. Emma! Emma! I can't lose you too!" His heart, which he had safely guarded for 200 years after Milah's death, was breaking once again. He was going to lose her and there was nothing he could do about it. Another person he loved was going to die in his arms. _

_Emma let go of his leather coat and brought her hand up to his cheek, green eyes found blue ones. She smiled softly at him. "I love you," she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Before he could answer her eyes fell shut and he felt her body go limp in his arms. _

Killian awoke with a start, bolting up right in the bed. It took him a few terrifying seconds to remember where he was – the Jolly Roger, in the Enchanted Forest, with his future children, on a journey to save Emma's future self. His breathing was labored and he could feel every bead of sweat trickle down his body. Turning in the bed he saw Emma's sleeping form next to him turned toward the wall of the cabin, her blonde locks laid out on the pillow behind her like a halo. Leaning over her he waited until he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest, signaling the fact that his nightmare had just been that – a horrible nightmare.

Climbing out of bed quietly so as not to wake her he quickly threw on his leather jacket, forgoing the vest that lay across the back of one of the chairs. Slipping into his boots he made his way up the ladder and onto the deck of the ship. After Erin's departure to relieve Liam at the helm he and Emma had sat in his old – or, current – cabin and talked. Both had expressed awe at Erin's magical ability although he could tell there was a hint of hesitation in Emma about their daughter having magic but he knew that only came from the fact his Swan was still uncertain about her own powers. They also agreed that Erin hadn't told them the truth at the town line about the person the Snow Queen had been referring to. Emma saw the classic signs of herself running away, although Erin only seemed to be doing it emotionally, and he saw the same haunted look in his daughter's eyes that he had seen in his own after losing Milah.

They had also talked about this prophecy surrounding Erin and Liam, what the return of the Jolly Roger would mean for his future self, and the fact he had clearly passed his sailing knowledge onto their children. Eventually the conversation had turned toward the one subject he didn't want to talk about – what had happened to him the previous night. She had danced around the subject and he had been able to elude her snuck in questions until Emma being Emma decided enough was enough and had out right asked him what had happened. He sent a prayer to all the gods above and below that Liam had chosen that moment to come into the cabin and had not-so-gently reminded his mother what had happened to him was a part of their pivotal moment and that Killian wasn't allowed to say a word about it.

That had not gone down well with his Swan and had led to a small stand-off between mother and son in which, in the end, the son had won.

Once the sun had started to set he had went up to the deck to make sure Erin and Liam didn't need any assistance while she went below to check on her parents, Elsa, and probably a drunken Will Scarlet. Seeing that his children had everything under control – he swelled with pride seeing Erin stood at the helm, her grip on the wheel strong but relaxed, the grip of an experienced sailor – he had went back below to tackle the biggest problem: sleeping arrangements. He had offered to sleep at the desk and give Emma the bed but she had refused, saying there was no need for him to have an uncomfortable nights rest and there was no need for him to sleep in the crew quarters because, well, it was his cabin. Surely he could behave himself for one night – this remark was met by a waggling of his eyebrows which had resulted in an eye roll from her. To save some modesty since this would be their first time sharing a bed together Emma and simply opted to discard her leather jacket and sweater, sleeping in her pants and one of those white tank tops, a modern invention Killian was more than okay with. He had only shrugged out of his coat and vest, untucking his shirt for some comfort.

As he stepped out on the deck he took a deep breath, the smell of the ocean at night assaulting his senses in the best way. He would never regret trading his ship for the magic bean that had gotten him to Emma but the sea was in his blood and with the wood of the Jolly Roger beneath his feet again and the ocean surrounding him on all sides, he admitted to himself he did miss it. The stars twinkled above him with a brilliance he had rarely seen before and something tugged in him as his eyes swept the familiar constellations, constellations that had guided him all his life.

A full moon hung high in the inky blackness, marking the late hour of about 2 AM. Its light illuminated the deck in a soft silver glow and looking to the helm he saw the broad shoulders of Liam at the wheel. Blue eyes met blue eyes over the expanse of the deck and Liam gave the smallest of nods to his father, somehow knowing Killian didn't want conversation at that moment. He made his way to the railing and braced his hand against the all too familiar wood, gazing out over the blackness of the ocean. The nightmare still lingered in his mind and it took everything within him not to bolt back below and check to make sure Emma was still okay.

But he knew she was okay. She wasn't the one missing a heart and in danger from the bloody crocodile. He bought his hand up to absently rub his chest where his heart should be. He was still amazed that even without it beating within the love he felt for Emma, for the future children who clearly were the best of him and her. He was sure the crocodile had something to do with that. After all, what suffering would there be for Killian if he didn't feel his emotions fully anymore? And the crocodile was all about maximizing his suffering.

At the sound of gentle footsteps behind him he turned to see Erin slowly making her way to him. She had traded out her mother's future red jacket, stored in safety in one of the trunks in the captain's cabin for a long, black leather coat that very much resembled his own pirate coat, but more feminine. He also noted the addition to a sword on her side and he was struck by the fact the Snow Queen had named her aptly. She exuded the essence of a pirate princess perfectly. She came to stand beside him at the railing, a brief smile thrown his way before her gaze looked out over the ocean.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Aye," he said. "I'm sure it has to do with getting use to sleeping on the water again."

Erin eyed her father out of the corner of her eye. "No, that isn't it. You've never had a problem with falling asleep on the ocean. You prefer it over sleeping any were else." Bloodyhell, Killian had to give it to the lass, she knew him well. Turning her gaze back out to the ocean Erin let the silence stretch between them before speaking again.

"It has to do with your heart – or lack thereof."

He wasn't really shocked. He had guessed Erin knew of his current predicament from the earlier conversation with Emma but to have her voice it unnerved him more than a little. His blue eyes searched her all too familiar face, thinking she looked even more like Swan in that moment with the wind off the ocean whipping her hair behind her.

"So you know." Erin threw him what could only be one of Emma's _really?_ looks.

"As I said earlier dad, what happened to you last night plays a major role in your and mom's pivotal moment. It's a detail of your story I've heard since I was a child."

"Aye… at least I know the crocodile doesn't succeed with his plans, since the proof I survive is standing in front of me."

"Yes, it all works out in the end. But that doesn't mean the danger wasn't very real," Erin mumbled, her mind retracing the familiar details of her parent's story. "Rumple may not have succeeded but he came bloody close to it."

Killian nodded as they fell into silence again, both their eyes going back to the ocean. He didn't need her to elaborate to know that while he would eventually escape the crocodile's newest scheme that whatever would transpire would put him dangerously close to dying. He didn't need a crystal ball into the future to predict how almost dying would affect Emma, not after her admission in the streets of Storybrooke that she couldn't lose him like everyone else she had been with. And yet somehow his near death wouldn't send her walls shooting back up but crashing down, eventually leading them to the beautiful woman stood next to him and the dashing man currently steering the Jolly Roger.

"Are we happy?"

Erin visibly started at her father's quiet question, turning to see the quiet pleading and insecurity in his blue eyes. She had to remind herself that this version of her father still had many of his own scars to heal, that at this point in time her mother's feelings for him weren't as clear as they were in the future. She gave him a small smile; one she hoped was full of encouragement.

"We are, especially you and mom. We're all happy… when not dealing with ice witches of course." This pulled a chuckle from Killian, and a little of the insecurity that had filled his eyes diminished. "After all, it is because of you and mom that I know what love is."

Killian furrowed his eyebrows. "How?"

"Because of the way you've looked at each other every day of my life."

A smile tugged at Killian's lips at his daughter's words before his face became serious again, a measure of that insecurity returning to his eyes.

"Am I a good father?"

She moved closer to her father then, placing a comforting hand over his brace. He realized for the first time that neither of his children seemed to be afraid of the hook, simply accepting it as a part of their father. He slowly bought his eyes up to look into her eyes, green eyes that were so vividly like Swan's.

"You're wonderful," she said, Emma's bright smile breaking on her face. "The best father there is."

He chuckled. "The best? David may take offense to that statement, love."

Erin laughed. "Grandpa is an amazing grandfather and I wouldn't trade him for the world. But you are the best, dad. You were there for every skinned knee, every one of grandma's insufferable balls, my sword fighting lessons, every bedtime story… you were there, even during the darker moments. And the darker moments are when I needed you most and you never let me down."

Killian saw the subtle change in Erin's features as she mentioned the darker moments, that all too familiar pain flashing across her green eyes. It went as quickly as it came but he wasn't going to let it go this time. Erin had clearly experienced something dark in her life and despite only having known her a day, everything in him was screaming to try to fix it, to sooth that haunting pain out of her eyes. Before he could ask her though there came the distinct sound of muffled footsteps. Looking behind them they saw David slowly making his way toward them, a look of embarrassment filtering across his face as he realized he was interrupting a private moment between father and daughter.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I couldn't sleep and thought you and Liam could use a small break."

Erin smiled at her grandfather. "It's okay, grandpa. I just came back from a small nap but I'm sure Liam would appreciate the break."

David nodded, starting towards the helm. "You coming, Hook?'

Killian started to protest, determined to get to the bottom of what dark moment haunted Erin, but the look the prince was giving him left him no choice. "Aye," he drawled out, clearly not happy about being pulled away from the moment with his daughter. He gave Erin one of his dazzling smiles and a quick squeeze of his hand before following the prince. Liam raised an eyebrow when he saw his father and grandfather making their way toward the wheel, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Figured you and Erin both could use a break," David said as way of an explanation as he came to stand next to his grandson. Liam looked between his grandfather and father, sensing the tension and realizing when I private talk was going to be needed. He nodded, stepping away so David could take hold of the wheel. With a brief smile of encouragement to his father he made his way down the deck toward the crew quarters. Killian leaned against the railing, hooking the thumb of his good hand into his belt. Whatever the prince had to say he could say in his own time.

After a few minutes of silence, with his eyes trained ahead, David finally spoke. "So, you and my daughter."

"I thought we already covered this that night at the town line," Killian said with as much cockiness as he could.

David remained staring ahead, his jaw clenched, moving the wheel ever so slightly. "That was before your future children dropped into our lives."

Killian sighed. He didn't know what the prince's game plan was here, truly. There were only so many 'stay away from my daughter' speeches one man could handle, even a 200 year old pirate. Pinching the bridge of his nose he said, "Look, _mate_. I'm well aware of your disapproval of me. And I'm sure you had grander plans for your daughter than her ending up the mother of a pirate's children. But there isn't anything more I can say to you about my intentions with Emma that I haven't already. Erin and Liam were a shock to Emma and I as well."

For the first time since taking the wheel from Liam David looked at Killian, studying the man in front of him. He was a pirate, yes, but even David had to reluctantly agree that the former ruthless pirate captain was a changed man. Or maybe he never really was that man, maybe he had just been… lost. A dormant memory flashed through his mind in that moment of him and another prince sat around a campfire, the other prince's words echoing in his mind. _"I'd go to the end of the world for her… or time."_

"I never had any grand plans for Emma." At Killian's raised eyebrow he continued. "I never got the chance, Hook. Moments after she was born I had to fight my way down a corridor with her in one arm and put her in a wardrobe, hoping beyond anything that she would one day find us. Then she did, and she was all grown up. And even with having missed everything I'm filled with this primal need to protect her, to insure that her heart is never again broken. It's not that I disapprove of you Hook, although there are many reasons to, it's about making sure she is happy. Her happiness is my only grand plan. Can you understand that?"

Killian was left speechless by the prince's words. It wasn't a 'you'll never get my daughter' speech, not even a 'stay away from my daughter' speech – it was one father to another, begging for understanding. And suddenly Killian did. He may not have to put Erin in a magical wardrobe in the future but she had popped into his life, in this instance, a grown woman with him having no part in her upbringing. And despite that, despite having no prior knowledge that there was even a possibility of Erin's existence, Killian had been filled with that same primal need to protect her at all costs. He put himself in David's shoes in that moment and he realized what the prince was truly trying to say – it didn't matter what he had wanted, it didn't matter about approving or disapproving (because really, no man would ever be good enough), all that mattered was her happiness. Killian found himself looking out over the deck of the Jolly Roger to find Erin who still stood by the railing, her eyes turned out to the night surrounding them.

"Aye, mate," he mumbled. "I understand."

OOOOOOOOOO

Emma woke to bright sunlight bathing the cabin. Blinking her eyes she quickly turned in the narrow bed to discover the other side empty. She looked to the chair were Killian had hung his coat the previous night to find it empty. _He must have gotten up early_, she thought. Disentangling herself from the plush red blanket – it was seriously the softest thing she had ever slept under in her entire life – she swung her legs over the side of the bed and tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes, her mind filtering through the last twenty-four hours.

After talking with Killian for a few hours about the kids and once again being shut down from finding out what exactly had happened to him the night before by an extremely stubborn son – she seriously wasn't sure if Liam got it from her or Killian – she had went below deck to check over everyone. She found Will passed out in the hallway, reeking of rum. She found her parents and Elsa already in the crew quarters, the former already tucked into one of the beds fast asleep. David and Mary Margaret had been sat on different beds facing each other, conversing quietly so as not to wake the Arendelle Queen. They immediately looked up as Emma had entered and David, being the ever perceptive man that he was, had quickly made an excuse about getting the drunken thief out of the hallway. With a quick kiss to Emma's forehead he was out the door and she had taken the seat he had been in, facing her mother. Emma placed her head in her hands as she remembered her conversation with her mother.

"_How are you?"_

_Emma had all but snorted at her mother's question. "I'm fine, if fine is an appropriate word for when you have two grown children suddenly drop into your life."_

_Mary Margaret had simply nodded. "It's a lot to process, I'm sure. Especially considering your… well, your… involvement with Hook."_

_Her involvement with Hook… her mother would say that since Emma had really not made an effort to fully express what Killian was to her. Which she really couldn't do since even she wasn't sure._

"_I think it's safe to say it's more than an involvement, mom – what with the two grown kids from the future and all."_

_Mary Margaret tilted her head in that way that Emma knew a deep conversation was about to occur. "Is it more than an involvement now? Taking the grown kids from the future out of the equation I mean."_

_Emma bit her lip, looking to the floor of the cabin. "I think it is."_

"_You think?"_

_Emma sighed. "It's… complicated, as is everything in my life, apparently. He's done a lot for me… for us. Between Neverland, Zelena's time portal, bringing me and Henry back from New York..." She paused, debating about whether to divulge the next bit to her mother. "Did you know he traded the Jolly Roger for a magic bean to get to me when I was in New York?'_

_Mary Margaret's eyes widened considerably. "Really?"_

"_Yeah," Emma whispered. "Without a second thought he gave up what had been his home for 200 hundreds."_

"_Well," Mary Margaret said, really at a loss for words. The enormity of Hook's sacrifice was not lost on her. "Do you have feelings for him?"_

"_I do."_

"_Do you love him?"_

_Emma could feel her cheeks redden a little at her mother's forward question. "I don't know. I do care about him, more than friendship, but I don't know if it's love. I honestly can't see myself ever getting to that point."_

"_Why not?"_

_Emma had never opened up to her mother this much before but being confronted with Erin and Liam had broken a wall down. And she found herself wanting to open up to her mother very much. "I've been hurt in the past and as I'm sure you know, it's hard for me to trust. There are just so many walls up and Killian and I are just now figuring out what… this is between us. And suddenly there are two kids who are ours standing in front of me – grown children – and I don't know how to feel about that. I feel something toward them, that's automatic. I felt the same thing when Henry found me but I knew he was out there in the world. Erin and Liam are no were near being thought of."_

_Mary Margaret nodded in understanding. "I may not know what it's like for a child you weren't even thinking about to pop up but I know how difficult it is to suddenly be confronted with an adult child."_

_Emma blinked at her mother. Of course if anyone would understand some of what Emma was currently going through, it would be her mother. Her mother who shortly after giving birth to her had to say good-bye, only to see her daughter again twenty-eight years later as a grown woman. Emma chuckled internally at the absurdity of how she had ended up walking in her mother's shoes somewhat. _

"_Well," Mary Margaret said when Emma didn't reply. "I know you feel like right now you'll never get to that point with Hook but clearly at some point you do. It's something to look forward to, right?"_

"_Maybe," Emma mumbled. Her eyes came up to meet those of her mother. "Something happened to him the night Erin and Liam came, after he left the loft."_

"_What?"_

_Emma shook her head. "I don't know. I woke up in the middle of the night to find Erin trying to sneak out to stop it. Liam wouldn't let her though because apparently whatever happened to him is directly related to our 'big moment' which is when our relationship changes."_

"_Well, then you know what you have to do, right?" When Emma just continued to look at her mother Mary Margaret gave her a small smile, leaning over to place a comforting hand on Emma's knee. _

"_You just have to have hope, Emma."_

Emma's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the violent shaking of the ship. Hearing the sudden thudding of boots above her and the distinct voices of her father, Killian, and Liam shouting coming from the open hatch, she jumped up and hurriedly shoved her boots on and grabbed her coat. Taking the ladder steps two at a time, made more difficult by the continuous shaking of the ship, she came out on the deck to a maelstrom.

Killian and her father stood at the wheel, it taking their combined strength to even remotely keep the ship upright against the shaking. Erin and Liam were stood on the lower deck, arms entwined around robes to keep them upright. Will was desperately holding onto the mast. As Emma grabbed the railing in front of the helm to keep her balance she saw a lone, black tentacle come up from the side of the sheep.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Will shouted above the thrashing of the ship. Emma heard Liam curse and turning her head to her children she saw the both of them looking in the direction of the tentacle, now having been joined by another, recognition flashing on both their faces.

"What is going on?" Mary Margaret yelled as her and Elsa came from the crew quarters, holding on to each other to keep from sprawling along the deck. Two more tentacles had made an appearance over the ship's railing.

Liam turned to his sister. "You have to call him, Erin!"

Erin shook her head, her eyes locked on her brother. "We don't even know that he can come!"

Liam cursed again; Emma was sure over his sister's stubbornness more than their current situation. "You know he can, Em! He isn't bound by the laws of time or realms like the rest of us. If you call, he will come!"

"There has to be another way!" Whoever they were talking about Erin was clearly not comfortable bringing him into the situation. Emma saw Liam grit his teeth, his blue eyes flashing.

"You know there isn't Erin! Neither you nor mom are powerful enough to get rid of her and you know she will stop at nothing to take this ship down!"

Emma could clearly see the emotional war going on inside her daughter. When another tentacle came over the ship she heard Erin mutter "Bloody hell" before flinging her left hand out toward the side. A pulse of white light shot out, rippling over the ocean's surface. Before anyone could question what was going on the source of the tentacles came fully over the railing, and Emma found her jaw dropping.

On the deck of the Jolly Roger stood a woman, from her waist down was the writhing, black tentacles while her upper half was that of a slender, young woman whose modesty was barely protected by the two large black seashells that covered her breasts. Her skin was almost light gray, her short, white hair sticking straight up as if she had been electrocuted. A simple shell necklace hung about her neck and her bright red lips were split into a menacing grin.

Ursula. The damn villain from Disney's _The Little Mermaid_ was currently stood on the deck. One day Emma wouldn't be so shocked when people like this showed up in the flesh.

"Well, well, well," Ursula cooed, her tentacles continuing to move. Her too-bright green eyes scanned the ship's occupants. "What have we here?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Sea Witch," Erin growled. Ursula's attention immediately snapped to her, her head tilting to the side.

"You don't belong here. I can practically _smell_ how out of place you are," she all put purred, her tongue running out to lick her lower lip, as if she could taste the air around her.

"We have nothing you'd want!" Liam shouted at the half woman.

Ursula laughed, a high pitched laugh that reminded Emma of someone who should have been in an insane asylum. "Oh, but there is young sailors. You may not belong here but you are absolutely brimming with power. And it's a power I must have!"

Faster than anyone could react one of Ursula's tentacles shot out, grasping Erin around one of her ankles and yanking her toward the sea villain. Killian shouted Erin's name, practically clearly the railing in front of the helm in one single leap to get to his daughter. David was already half way down, sword drawn. Emma tried to bring her own magic up but once again felt it hit that internal wall, the act almost stealing her breath away. Elsa tried freezing the tentacle currently wrapped around Erin's ankle but Ursula simply laughed, easily breaking the ice. Will and Mary Margaret were frantically searching for a weapon of any kind as Liam threw himself across the deck, managing to grab hold of the collar of Erin's leather coat but unable to stop the pull of the tentacle.

"Let her go, Ursula."

And as sudden as everything had started everyone stopped, even Ursula's tentacle halting its progress across the deck, all eyes trained on the newcomer. He stood by the railing on the opposite side of the ship to Ursula, and Emma had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn't imagining the man stood before them. He was tall, dressed in what could only be described as a military uniform that was faded with age. A head of curly brown hair was barely visible beneath the overly large hat – of a high rank Emma assumed – and his blue eyes, eyes that tugged at familiarity to her, stared with an aged wisdom and bottomless power at Ursula. Emma barely heard the sharp intake of breath from Killian.

"Davy Jones!" Ursula snarled, her green eyes flashing into shades of brilliant blue.

"Let her go," he repeated, his voice echoing with untold power.

"How are you here? No one has the power to call you from the depths of the ocean!"

Davy Jones smirked at the woman's words, a smirk that had Emma feeling like she was seeing déjà vu. "Now that isn't completely true, Ursula. There's one way I can be called from the ocean, and it's by someone of my blood line." Davy Jones' piercing blue eyes fell from Ursula to Erin.

"No matter how reluctant my granddaughter may make the call."

**Author's Note: Ah, Ursula. Slightly altered her appearance from that of the Disney version but I'm sure we all can agree it's still better than the crap the Ursula in OUAT is wearing. **

**And I am a firm believer that you can't have a pirate on your show named Killian Jones and his father NOT be Davy Jones. I mean, come on!**

**And yes... Time War... I wear my Whovian badge with pride!**


	8. Chapter 7: The Son of Davy Jones

**Author's Note: **

**This took longer than I expected to write because last week I decided to catch the bloody flu and felt like death warmed over for about four days. The week off work was nice though!**

**I've made a slight tweak to Erin and Liam's timeframe. Originally they were 24 during this story but because of some things I want to happen later on, I aged them to 26 so they are from 28 years in the future now. **

**And in case it wasn't obvious, anytime there is a flash forward to the future all current Storybrooke residents will be referred to as their Enchanted Forest persona (ie Mary Margaret will be called Snow, David will be called Prince Charming, etc.) The obvious exceptions to this will be Emma and Killian. Figured that would be the easiest way to do it for when our time traveling group encounter their future counterparts – because what is a good time traveling fic if they don't?**

**Couple of guest reviews I wanted to answer:**

**Guest**** – **_**"Well thank rumple that killian is missing a heart because with all these happening to him (kids, jolly, davy) he was sure to have a heart attack from the shock lol"**_

**I laughed out loud so hard at this review. So funny but you're right! Poor Killian's heart may not have been able to handle all this, haha**

**Guest****: **_**"Very good chapter, but About ursula, I like the actress and how she looks with hair and all, It's just green? ursula's color is purple, morgana's is green"**_

**I don't mind the actress, at all, it's just the outfit they have her in. To me it just looks ridiculous and I think the awesome costume department could have come up with something much better. I much preferred how they portrayed Regina as 'Ursula' a few seasons back.**

**As always I hope you enjoy and reviews/follows/favorites make my day and feed the muse!**

Chapter 7: The Son of Davy Jones

Emma felt like she had been hit with one of those ridiculous, oversized mallets from Saturday morning cartoons. "Gran—granddaughter?" But how could that be? David was Emma's father, which made him Erin's grandfather. The only way this Davy Jones character could be Erin's grandfather was if… _Killian_.

And just like that Emma felt all the air leave her body.

Killian… he was Killian's father. Her eyes swept the deck of the Jolly Roger until she found him standing a few feet away from her, his entire body rigid, his eyes focused on the imposing figure that was Davy Jones. She quickly made her way to him around a shocked Mary Margaret and confused Elsa, quickly taking his hand in hers. He squeezed her hand, his rings painfully digging into her skin like they did back at the Storybrooke docks. Davy Jones was Killian's father, the man who had fled in the middle of the night, abandoning his son. Emma's heart hurt for that little blue eyed boy all those centuries ago and a wave of hatred for the man standing before them swelled within her.

"So this little morsel that is positively _brimming_ with power is of your blood line Jones?" Ursula purred, licking her lips as her eyes flashed back to their vivid green color. "No wonder her power is practically seeping out of her!"

"You know my power is not the kind that is passed down by blood, Ursula," Davy Jones said, taking calculated steps toward the sea witch. "My power can only be passed on through an act of free will. My granddaughter is of no concern to you. Let her go."

Ursula's tentacle tightened its hold on Erin's ankle. "On the contrary, Jones, your granddaughter's power is my concern. I can't just ignore the vast power that is coursing through her."

Davy Jones's blue eyes – eyes Emma now recognized were shared with his son and grandson – flashed in the early morning light. "Oh, but you can, Ursula. And you will. I will not ask you again."

Ursula seemed to flinch at his words, the unbridled power in his voice giving her pause. Her green eyes flickered from Davy Jones down to the girl at the end of her tentacle, Erin's jade eyes fixed on Ursula's, unblinking and unafraid. The power coming off this young girl was unlike any she had felt before and Ursula craved to take it as her own. But the power that was Davy Jones was one even Ursula was not willing to cross in order to sedate her craving. With a sneer of her red lips her tentacle unwrapped from the young girl's leg.

"Wise decision, Ursula. Now leave, and know that they can call upon me at any time should you try again."

Snarling the sea witch took one last look at Erin before turning and disappearing over the side of the ship. After the rocking of the _Jolly Roger_ subsided from Ursula's retreat beneath the ocean waves, Davy Jones's blue eyes turned to Erin who was in the process of standing up.

"Erin—"

"Don't!" she snapped, her green eyes flashing at the imposing figure before her. "I don't want to hear a word you have to say."

Emma saw Davy Jones physical still at his granddaughter's words, his eyes closing in what she saw as emotional pain before they reopened, the once bright blue now dark like the bottomless ocean. "Normally I'd adhere to a lady's request, especially when the lady in question is my own granddaughter. But I can't help but notice your current predicament." His eyes flashed over to the clearly younger versions of his son and daughter-in-law in their strange clothing. "Care to explain why you and your brother are twenty-eight years in the past?"

Erin's jaw clenched. "It's none of your business what we are doing here."

"On the contrary, lass, it is very much my business. Both of you should know the ramifications of tampering with a timeline—"

"Do not lecture us on ramifications of timelines," Liam growled, coming to stand beside his sister. Emma saw her son's normal calm exterior slipping, revealing that while he didn't have the same amount of hatred for the man standing before them that Erin did, there was still no love lost between grandson and grandfather. "We know what we are doing and as Erin said, it's none of your business."

"I'm done with this," Erin muttered, her long coat swishing in the wind as she turned and headed back toward the wheel.

"You can't run from this, Erin. I'm your grandfather—"

Erin whirled back around, her green eyes flashing as she strode back across the deck, coming within inches of Davy Jones. "You are not my grandfather! He," at this she pointed behind her toward David, his sword still drawn, "is my grandfather! _He_ stood next to our father to defend us the night we were born. _He_ was there every single day of our lives, through every skinned knee and sword fighting lesson. _He _was there the day I lost—" she faltered, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Her eyes briefly flickered to her mother and father, hoping neither of them had caught her almost admission. "My grandfather, _Prince Charming_, has been there for us through everything. You, Davy Jones, have never been there for us. So do not think simply because you are our father's father that it makes you, in any way, our grandfather! Because being a grandfather is so much more than simply sharing blood."

"Erin," Davy Jones began, her words clearly affecting him. Before he could continue though Erin was shaking her head, her eyes like hard jade orbs.

"You _abandoned_ our father for power, Davy Jones! Power was more important to you than your own son! You are no better than the Dark One and I will never consider you my grandfather." She turned on her heel then, her strides long and purposeful as she passed her brother and grandfather. Without looking back she shouted, "You are dismissed, Davy Jones!" before she disappeared down the hatch that lead to the captain's cabin.

A deep silence enveloped the deck as Erin went below, the only sound the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull. Emma looked to Killian and once again her heart broke for him. His blue eyes were as hard as stone and unmoving from the figure of the man who abandoned him centuries ago, apparently for an unholy power. She gave his hand what she hoped was a comforting squeeze and felt his hand tighten around hers in response.

Suddenly there was a thunderous, whirling noise and the wind picked up unnaturally, whipping Emma's long locks about her face. Everyone looked out to the side of the ship to see a swirling vortex forming atop the waves. Davy Jones looked out to the vortex, a brief flash of sadness crossing his handsome features before he turned back to his grandson.

"Liam…."

Liam squared his shoulders, his own blue eyes flashing, his jaw clenching. "While I don't hold the same level of hatred for you that Erin does, I can still hold a grudge just as fierce. You've been dismissed back to the depths of the ocean, Davy Jones. Don't turn your back on the power you gave everything up for now."

The wind picked up, becoming a screeching gale as the vortex intensified. Davy Jones nodded his head slightly realizing that even if he wanted to continue the conversation with his grandson, he couldn't ignore his dismissal. He was tied to the depths of the ocean just as surely as the Dark One was tied to his dagger. His bright blue eyes scanned the faces of the deck, finally coming to rest on the rigid form of his son. A familiar pang of guilt, one harbored for centuries tugged at him as he looked into the all too familiar blue eyes that reflected hate, confusion, and abandonment. He knew this version of his son hadn't encountered him yet, hadn't discovered that the father that abandoned him as a child had done so to claim the power of the ocean and all the trappings it entailed.

Whatever his grandchildren were doing in the past, he hoped they knew what they were doing.

With a swish of his coat he disappeared, the wind and vortex immediately dying as he did. No one moved after Davy Jones's departure, their eyes riveted to the spot where the sea legend had stood. Will broke the silence by voicing what everyone on the deck was thinking, save Liam.

"What the bloody hell just happened?"

Liam sighed, running a hand through his dark locks. "Long story."

"I think it's a story we need to hear," Mary Margaret said as she came to stand next to David.

Liam looked to his father and at seeing the myriad of questions and emotions reflected in Killian's eyes, nodded. "Since the beginning of time there has always been someone to take the souls of the dead to the other side, a ferryman of sorts. In most cultures he's depicted as just that – a ferryman in a hooded robe, bringing souls to the afterlife via boat. Other cultures, such as the one of our dear Aunt Elsa, the ferrymen are actually women called Valkyries who take the most heroic of souls to Valhalla. Sailors have their own mythology of a man who captains a ghost ship, ferrying all souls lost at sea to the other side. That ferryman is Davy Jones in the sailing world."

"But the mythology of Davy Jones is as old as the tales of the Valkyrie, which go back as far as I know, centuries," Elsa began. "How is the man we saw Killian's father when stories of him span back to the beginning of time?"

Liam absently ran a thumb along his lower lip. "The position of the ferryman of souls lost at sea is one that is passed on, albeit it very rarely. Only a handful of people have held the position since time and mythology began. When a person accepts the position it works very similar to the succession of the Dark One – there's no dagger with a new name etched into it but when a new ferryman takes the helm his name is automatically replaced in the legends, as if it were only ever him. Even sailors who had told stories with the previous ferryman's name automatically start using the name of the new captain – it's the power behind the position."

"How did Killian's father become the ferryman of sailor's souls?" Mary Margaret asked. Liam looked to his father, silently asking him how much of his past he was comfortable divulging. In Liam's time the entire family knew about Davy Jones abandoning Killian as a young boy but at this point in time the only person who knew the pirate's painful past was Emma. Killian gave the smallest nod to his son, instantly understanding the unspoken question.

"When dad was a boy Davy Jones fled in the middle of the night because he was a wanted man. But avoiding capture wasn't his only motivation. A few days before he abandoned dad the previous ferryman had let Davy see him – generally only those who have passed on are able to see the ferryman, the only glimpse of him the living ever see are of his ghost ship, the _Flying Dutchman_ – and had offered him the position. Apparently Dave had seen a glimpse of the power the position held and couldn't resist."

David and Mary Margaret's eyes briefly flickered to Killian, still stood rigidly on the deck of his ship, his hand firmly clasped in their daughter's hand. At the same time they both realized why the pirate was able to understand their daughter on a level they never could – both of them had been abandoned. David and Mary Margaret may not have done it intentionally or had any choice in the matter but at the end of the day, Emma had been abandoned. And Killian knew that pain all too well and David and Mary Margaret saw it – the connection Emma and Killian had – was the meeting of two souls who shared similar wounds.

"How did we find out he was Killian's father?" Emma asked, bringing her free hand up to comfortably rub Killian's leather clad arm.

"When we were eight a quest took us to the Isle of Souls. We were in search of someone who was trying to find a way to open a portal to the afterlife – typical family adventure. While we were there dad, grandpa, and Erin ran into Davy Jones." Liam knew he should divulge the rest of the story of who else his father encountered on that fateful day but his father had already sustained enough shock for one day, no need to give the man without a heart currently a heart attack.

Killian's brows knitted in confusion. "What did he mean by someone of his blood line could call him?"

"He is bound by his power to the ocean and can't come from the other side unless he is ferrying souls. The only exception to that is a member of his bloodline can summon him – it's a 'perk' of his power so to speak."

"Gods, I need more rum to deal with this bloody family tree," Will muttered.

OOOOOOOOOO

Erin stormed down the ladder into her father's cabin, anger radiating off her so much her magic sparked in her palms. How _dare_ that man even suggest he was her grandfather! Yes, biologically he was her grandfather but he was not in every way that counted. No, her mother's father, Prince Charming, was her grandfather and the only one she claimed. Stalking to her father's desk she sat behind it, briefly closing her eyes and taking deep breaths to try to reign in her magic. Her mother's words from one of her first magic lessons floated through her mind – _Your magic is tied to your emotions, Erin. While you can utilize that to help focus your magic it can quickly lead to severe consequences if you can't control those emotions. _

Feeling the anger for the man who abandoned her father still bubbling beneath the surface she wrenched open the top left drawer of her father's desk without opening her eyes, reaching in to grasp the familiar and well-worn flask her father kept in there. Popping the lid she took a long pull and as the rum burnt a familiar, delicious path down her throat she let her mind wander back to that moment all those years ago that her father's world had been turned upside down.

_They were bone weary and tired. Regina's magic had been able to point them in the direction of the Isle of Souls but g__etting there had been a battle in itself. Frigid temperatures, sailing in blackness so dark they couldn't tell were the sky began and the ocean ended, and battling the unholy beings that guarded this side left all of them ready to just collapse. But the journey wasn't finished yet. They may have finally made it to the island, the way point for souls going from the land of the living to the afterlife, but they still had to find Jafar and stop him from opening the portal between the two worlds._

_Erin looked around at her family as they made their way down the main street of the only town on the island. Her father held her in his arms, her small arms wrapped securely around his neck, the familiar smell of leather and sea filling her senses. Her mother walked next to them, her long blonde locks blowing in the wind, her brother Liam sitting firmly on her hip, his head resting on their mother's shoulder as he slumbered. Her grandparents walked a few feet in front of them, hands interlocked but Erin noticed the firm grip her grandfather's free hand held on the hilt of his sword. Uncle Will was behind them, his brown eyes constantly roaming the street and buildings as they walked. They were all tired, so ready for this adventure to be over with so they could go back home and continue with their lives. _

_Erin looked out at the town, her eyes instantly landing on a ship at the docks. It was the biggest ship there – weathered with age, her purple sails tattered with usage. "Daddy, look!" Killian looked to were his daughter was pointing and smirked when he saw the ship. Of course Erin would find a pirate ship in the middle of them trying to stop another villain from ending the world – she was the daughter of a pirate, after all. _

"_Aye, lass, that's the __**Flying Dutchman**__."_

_Charming looked over his shoulder at his son-in-law. "You know the ship, Killian?"_

"_Aye, every sailor knows that ship. She belongs to Davy Jones, the ferryman who takes sailors who die at sea across to the other side. Myth holds that if a sailor sees her purple sails it's a foretelling of doom. Her crew are all departed sailors, bound into service by Davy Jones to aide him in ferrying the souls across."_

_Erin looked to her father, her jade green eyes wide with wonderment. "Can we see her up close?"_

"_See what you've started," Emma muttered, looking at her husband out of the corner of her eye. The man knew Erin loved ships as much as he did and hung on to every word he said about them. Of course she would want to see a ghost ship up close – her daughter was too much like her older brother sometimes for her own good. _

_Killian chuckled at his wife's words. She may curse him for indulging in Erin's love for all things pirate but inwardly she adored the fact their daughter was fascinated by anything to do with her father's lineage. "I don't know, lass. Maybe next time…."_

_Erin pouted, a look that screamed Killian Jones if Emma had ever seen one, a look she knew her husband was never able to say no to. "Please momma? Please, please, pllleeeaassseeee!"_

_Snow laughed in front of them, knowing her daughter was fighting a losing battle when it came to the ship obsessed princess. "Maybe you could use the side trip to our advantage? If this Davey Jones ferries souls he may have information on where Jafar is. And right now we could use all the information we can get if we want to make it home in time for the Yule Ball."_

"_Gods forbid we miss the Yule Ball," Will mumbled, earning him a stern look from the Queen of the Enchanted Forest and a laugh from Emma. She loved her mother, she truly did, but she swore Snow made up reasons sometimes just to throw a ball. It was like the woman was trying to make up for thirty years of missed balls – which, she probably was. _

"_That's not a bad idea," Charming said. "I'll go with Killian and Erin, why don't the rest of you go and find us some rooms. We know Jafar is somewhere on this island, no need for us not to get at least one good night's sleep before we start trekking again."_

"_Yay! We're going to see a ghost ship!"_

_Emma smiled at the unbridled joy on her daughter's face. She leaned up and placed a kiss on Killian's cheek, mumbling for him to be careful. He simply smiled back at his wife, his wink letting her know that as long as he had Erin he wouldn't do anything too stupid. The group split with Charming, Killian, and Erin heading toward the docks. The closer they got to the ghost ship the more Erin seemed to vibrate with anticipation. She admired the intricate figurehead of the goddess Brizo, protector of sailors and how it seemed the figure of the goddess was breaking away from the ship to lead the way to those sailors who needed aide. _

_As they came up to the ship a young boy, no older than fourteen or fifteen, appeared. "What can I do for ye?"_

_Charming straightened his shoulders, every inch of him exuding the air of King of the Enchanted Forest. "We'd like to speak to your captain. We're looking for someone and we were hoping he might have some information on him."_

_The boy studied the three of them intently, his hazel eyes lingering on Killian for more than a few seconds before nodding curtly. "Of course, Captain Jones is always willing to help those in need. If you'll wait here on the deck, I'll go and fetch him from below." Charming and Killian both nodded their heads in thanks, taking the last few steps until they were stood on the deck of the __**Flying Dutchman**__. _

"_You know," Killian began, "It's more than a little unnerving to be stood on this deck and, well, __**not**__ be in Davy Jones's locker."_

_Charming chuckled at his son-in-law. "The great Captain Hook isn't superstitious, is he?"_

_Killian threw the prince his infamous smirk. "I'm a sailor first and foremost, mate. We're all superstitious, especially when it comes to this ship."_

_As her father and grandfather talked Erin let her eyes roam across the deck. The ship was well crewed, in a quick tally she counted at least fifteen sailors on the deck in the middle of various tasks and she was sure there were more below. Since they were in the Isle of Souls the crew was solidified, not at all see through like you would expect a ghost crew to be. That thought had Erin pouting to herself. As she continued to scan the deck she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she suddenly had the unmistakable feeling like she was being watched. She quickly searched the deck for the source, eventually finding it. _

_He was a young man, very handsome, with tousled brown curls and something about his face screamed familiarity to Erin. He was leaning against the mast of the ship, arms crossed over his chest, clad in a naval uniform that reminded her of the uniforms of her grandfather's navy. His dark blue eyes were darting at an almost feverish pace between her and Killian, a gleam of something lighting up his eyes. Erin furrowed her brows. If there was one thing she knew from being the daughter of the Savior and Captain Hook, it was that any time someone paid her extra close attention it never ended well. _

"_Daddy?"_

"_What is it, my love?"_

_She looked into her father's too-blue eyes. "That man over there won't stop staring at us." Killian frowned, his eyes instantly sweeping the deck._

"_Were?" _

"_He's over by the mast," she whispered in his ear. She felt her father's head turn in the direction of the mast and his entire body stiffened, his breath hitching as his arms tightened around her. Charming saw the body shift in the pirate and turned to him, a look of concern on his face. _

"_Killian, you okay?"_

_Her father didn't respond and Erin leaned back in his arms to look at him. His face was completely white as if he had seen a ghost – which, considering where they stood was a pretty accurate description. A million emotions filtered across his usually schooled features – confusion, sadness, adoration, anger, shock – and his ocean blue eyes were locked on the man in the naval uniform that Erin now realized was walking toward them, his strides determined but reserved. As he came to stand a few feet in front of them Killian's arms tightened even more around Erin, as if she were an anchor that was keeping him from drowning. _

_The man in the naval uniform let out a shaky breath. "K-Killian? What are you doing here little brother?"_

"_Younger," Killian corrected automatically before sucking in a breath. The banter was easy, like 200 years hadn't passed since his brother's death. But it had – 200 years filled with a thirst for revenge, first against the King who had sent him and Liam on that ill-fated journey and then against Rumple. 200 years of loss and pain until Emma had literally stumbled into his life. He felt his father-in-law's hand on his shoulder, trying to give him what comfort words couldn't in that moment. _

_Erin saw the wetness start to gather in her father's eyes and without thinking she reached for the charms that hung around his neck, hoping the familiar act would comfort him, however small. Her movement caught Liam's eye and his blue eyes darted to her. _

"_And who is this young lass?"_

_Killian blinked rapidly, suddenly remembering that his brother had no idea who the little girl in his arms was to him. Looking at Erin's face, her little brow furrowed as she took in the form of her long dead uncle, he couldn't help the smile of utter adoration that graced his lips. _

"_This is my daughter, Erin Jones. Erin, this is—"_

"_Uncle Liam."_

_All three men chuckled at the little girl, Killian so thankful in that moment his daughter had inherited both of her parents' perceptiveness in every situation. Suddenly remembering Charming stood next to him he nodded at the prince. "And this is my father-in-law, King Charming of the Enchanted Forest."_

_Liam's eyes widened. "King? You've done well for yourself then, little brother."_

"_As have yourself… all things considered. What are you doing aboard the __**Flying Dutchman**__ Liam?"_

_Something flashed over his brother's face but was quickly hidden. "After I…. passed Davy Jones offered me a spot on the crew. I've been helping him ferry souls ever since." He frowned. "The three of you aren't…."_

"_Dead? No," Charming said. "We are actually looking for someone and were hoping your captain could help us."_

_Killian once again saw that flash of something across his brother's features. Liam cursed softly under his breath, running a hand through his brown curls – his nervous tick. "Killian, there's something you need to know—"_

"_Lieutenant Jones, are these the people inquiring for information?"_

_Charming, Killian, and Erin all looked to the source of the new voice, one that seemed to vibrate with power. As the figure came into view Erin felt her father's arms tighten around her again but not in desperation, but in that familiar pull she knew he used when he felt the need to protect her. She watched her father's entire demeanor change, the shock of finding his dead brother gone and replaced with a mask of absolute fury. His jaw clenched and his blue eyes flashed dangerously as they swung back to look at Liam. The voice he spoke with wasn't the soothing, lilted one he used when addressing her but was the commanding captain voice, honed from centuries of barking orders along the deck of his ship. _

"_Davy Jones is our __**father**__?!"_

"Erin?"

Erin started at the sound of her brother's voice, blinking rapidly as she took in that he was stood in front of her, concern radiating from his blue eyes. "Yeah?"

"I've been calling your name for almost a minute now. Where did you go?"

She shook her head, ridding herself of the last remnants of the long ago memory. "No were, just thinking."

Liam sat down at the desk across from her, his eyes filtering between the faraway look in his sister's eyes and the opened flask of rum in her hand. "You were remembering when dad found out." It wasn't a question but a statement.

Erin sighed, running her free hand over her face, noticing that at least her magic had calmed down. "Aye."

Liam let the silence that followed go without speaking, knowing his sister was still processing the memory. He hadn't been there when their father found out the ferryman of lost souls at sea was in fact his own father but he had stood outside their parent's rented room later that night next to Erin, listening to their father break down to their mother. It had affected them differently. Liam, ever the calm and collected twin had taken the knowledge in stride and simply comforted his father whenever it came up. Erin on the other hand had inherited her mother's fierce protective streak and she couldn't see past the fact that Davy Jones had abandoned their father. And while Killian had eventually let go of the anger he held for his father, long ago realizing that holding on to it would serve him no good, Erin refused to let go of her own, determined to protect her father from the man who had left him alone.

"It had to be done, Em," he whispered, breaking the contemplative silence between the siblings. Erin's eyes jerked up to meet his blue stare, her mouth a thin, hard line.

"I know, Liam." She sighed then, clearly trying to dispel the lingering anger. "I know that we needed his help, that we couldn't risk fighting back against Ursula in case something happened that would endanger the timeline. I get it, really, I do. I just can't believe he had the nerve to say what he did afterward."

Liam nodded, absently playing with the corner of one of the maps on their father's desk. "Aye, I agree with you on that and everything you said to him." This time he sighed. "But you've got to let go of this anger for him, Em. It does you no good to hold on to so tightly."

Erin didn't respond but simply took another pull from the flask. Bringing it back down she reached across the desk and wordlessly held it out for her brother. Liam took it and quickly drank, sighing as the familiar burn made its way down.

"How is dad?"

Liam took another drink before answering her. "As you can expect – confused and angry. I ended up telling them how Davy Jones came to the position of ferryman and how we discovered who he really was." Erin visibly stilled at her brother's last words.

"You didn't—"

Liam shook his head, a few strands of hair falling over his forehead as he did. "No, I left out the part where he also learned Uncle Liam's fate. Figured even that would be a bit much for a man without a heart to take at the moment."

Erin nodded, remembering the shock on her father's face the first time he had learned her Uncle Liam was a part of the _Flying Dutchman_'s crew. She watched as Liam took a final pull from the flask before handing it back to her, standing as he did.

"We'll reach the castle by noon. I'll help dad bring her in if you want to stay down here for a bit longer."

Erin gave her brother a soft smile, silently thanking him for knowing she needed a bit more time to process her anger and other lingering emotions.

"Try not to get _too_ drunk, Em. I need you sober until we at least get back to our own time."

Erin scowled at her brother's back. "I'm the daughter of a pirate. I can bloody well hold my rum brother."

Liam looked over his shoulder at her, a knowing look in his blue eyes. "That's what worries me," he mumbled before climbing the ladder, smirking at the almost certain death glare his sister was shooting him.

OOOOOOOOOO

_And a day shall come to pass that the Mistress of all Evil shall reign over all_

_Her power reaching to all the realms, her magic unbridled_

_But there will come a day when they are born - one fair, one dark_

_They will be born in the heart of the storm_

_And they will be her undoing _

She snarled as she read the all too familiar words on the parchment, crumbling it within her fist before tossing it against the wall. Not that it mattered what she did to it. The magical parchment the damnable words were written on would make sure that come morning the prophecy would be laying on her desk again, the paper completely void of any wrinkles.

With a swish of her long black robes she strode from the room, her staff making loud tapping noises with each of her steps along the castle corridor. Her dark castle was void of noise or person, save the occasional guard standing alone in the long corridors. _Damn the prophecy!_ she thought. It had been over twenty-six years since the blind Seer had wandered into her castle in the dead of winter to deliver it. The first part of the prophecy had already come to pass with her magic bringing all the realms under her power save the Enchanted Forest, Arendelle, and Camelot. All three were heavily protected by the Savior and Regina but she was determined to have those kingdoms, refusing to let them slip from her grasp.

She would have her revenge against the Charmings. She would not so easily forget what they had done to her.

Entering her throne room she let her mind wander back through the years. It hadn't taken her long to locate the children described in the prophecy, the unborn twins of the Savior and Captain Hook. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming was but a few weeks away from delivering and she had quietly but quickly gathered her forces, determined to kill the children before their part of the prophecy came fulfilled. Somehow the Charmings had discovered her intentions and on the day Emma Jones went into labor her army was met with the full force of Charming's army.

Some of her more skilled henchmen had managed to get through the castle defenses only to be met by Charming and Hook personally defending the room where Emma lay giving birth. The final insult came from Regina, her old alley and friend, now just another 'hero' among the Charming ranks. Regina had enacted an ancient protection spell on the children, one twined with some of Maleficent's own magic, making it impossible for Maleficent to harm them magically until the protection spell wore off on their 27th birthday.

She had never stopped trying to hurt them though, even if she could do nothing with her magic. She had spent the last twenty-six years biding her time, taking every opportunity she could to jab at the royal family. And although the infuriating Charmings always seemed to foul her plans at every turn, she slept peacefully at night knowing there was at least one time she had dealt the family a deadly blow, a blow that still haunted the Savior and Hook's daughter.

Sitting on her dark throne she smiled to herself as she thought of the pain she had caused the young pirate princess. It was only fair considering what the princess's parents had cost Maleficent all those years ago. But her ultimate revenge against the family was going to be sweet and she let a laugh bubble from her chest as she thought of her carefully laid plans that would come to fruition very, very soon.

Her revenge against the Charmings was going to be so sweet.

**Author's Note:**

**I know that Valhalla is actually Norse mythology and I'm fairly certain Frozen is actually set in Russia (someone correct me if I'm wrong!) but well, you know the old saying – my story and I can twist things to how I want them. Haha. It just worked easier that way. **

**And Brizo actually is the Greek goddess of sailors – showing my history nerd there. **

**Yule (for anyone who doesn't know) is an old name for Christmas, which was generally used by the Germanic people. So when Snow talks about the Yule Ball, it's essentially a Christmas ball. **


End file.
